2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade, the Belt and Road Initiative has evolved from concept to action and vision to reality. It has carried out broader, higher and deeper regional cooperation, committed itself to upholding the global free trade system and an open world economy, promoted exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, demonstrated the common ideals and aspirations of human society, and added new positive energy to world peace and development. The Belt and Road Initiative is not only necessary for China to expand and deepen opening-up, but also for China to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries in Asia, Europe and Africa as well as the rest of the world. It is a long-term plan that bears on the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and sustainable development of mankind.

To inject impetus into the global economy

 In the context of deepening economic globalization and profound adjustment of division of labor in the global value chain, the Belt and Road Initiative is a major strategic measure of China's wider opening-up and a top-level design of economic diplomacy. It is conducive to building an open economic system interconnected at home and abroad and promoting both domestic and international circulation.

Practice has proved that we should promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road, support the multilateral trading system and regional trade arrangements to drive economic globalization, and actively negotiate with countries along the Belt and Road to establish free trade areas, which will bring closer cooperation and more convenient exchanges between China and countries along the Belt and Road. The Belt and Road Initiative has deeply integrated China into the world economy, strengthened the synergy between domestic and international markets and resources, and promoted opening-up and cooperation. China's economic growth has also played a stabilizing role in global and regional economic growth.

To bring greater benefits to countries along the Belt and Road

Based on a scientific assessment of world economic development and the trend of economic globalization, the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by China meets the development needs of countries and regions along the routes and conforms to the trend of regional economic cooperation. It has received positive responses and enthusiastic participation from these countries and regions. After years of development, a multi-country and multi-port connectivity architecture with six corridors, six roads has taken shape. A number of landmark projects have been launched and substantive progress has been made. Solid progress has been made in cooperation projects in some areas. As an effective carrier of mutually beneficial connectivity between China and countries along the Belt and Road, the China-Europe Express has developed into an important choice of international logistics and land transport between China and Europe, and is known as the iron camel connecting Asia and Europe.

The Belt and Road Initiative will bring the countries and regions along the Belt and Road closer together. Extensive cooperation in finance, trade and investment on the basis of infrastructure connectivity will not only promote the development of the countries along the Belt and Road, but also enhance the connectivity among them. Over the past ten years, the Belt and Road Initiative has generated nearly one trillion US dollars of investment, formed more than 3,000 cooperation projects, created 420,000 jobs for countries along the Belt and Road, lifted nearly 40 million people out of poverty, provided more development opportunities for all countries, and delivered more benefits to people's livelihood.

Improve the global governance system

At present, multilateralism, multilateral rules and multilateral mechanisms are under challenge and impact. The global governance system is in urgent need of reform and improvement. The growing deficit in global governance calls for concerted efforts by all countries.  The Belt and Road Initiative and its core vision of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits have been written into the outcome documents of the United Nations and other important international mechanisms, and gradually become an important consensus for global governance. The establishment of multilateral development institutions and cooperation platforms such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund has helped make the global governance system more just and equitable.

High-quality Belt and Road cooperation has broken the zero-sum game mentality and promoted reform and improvement of the global governance system, thus contributing China's wisdom and solutions to global challenges. The Belt and Road cooperation documents and projects cover infrastructure construction, industrial capacity cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, ecological and environmental protection, etc. They fully demonstrate the openness and sharing of the Belt and Road Initiative and are highly beneficial to international cooperation.

Increase exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations

 Countries along the Belt and Road have profound cultural heritage. The Belt and Road Initiative is conducive to promoting exchanges among civilizations, replacing confrontation and clash of civilizations with exchanges and mutual learning, and turning the diversity of the world and differences among countries into vitality and driving force for the common development of all countries. Let the flower of civilization become a bridge of friendship between peoples, a bond of human progress and a lubricant of world peace. Over the past decade, China and countries along the Belt and Road have held cultural years and art festivals in each other's countries, and carried out various forms of people-to-people exchange programs, effectively promoting cultural exchanges.

Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are an important driving force for human progress and world peace and development. Practice has proved that the Belt and Road Initiative, following the law of development of civilizations, respecting the diversity of civilizations, and promoting common values and fruits of civilizations will not only highlight the content and characteristics of the Chinese civilization, but also facilitate exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations around the world.

Promote sustainable development of mankind

At present, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Changes in the world, times and history are unfolding in an unprecedented way. Economic globalization is facing adverse trends and world economic recovery is struggling. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China is of strategic significance to addressing risks and challenges facing the world today and enhancing the response capacity of countries along the routes.

In the face of increasingly diverse and complex traditional and non-traditional security issues, China has worked with other countries and regions along the Belt and Road to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, scientifically assess risks and challenges, and overcome difficulties together. China has actively promoted the establishment of a Belt and Road cooperation mechanism for green and low-carbon development, and signed more than 50 cooperation documents on ecological and environmental protection with relevant countries and international organizations. China launched the Belt and Road Partnership for Green Development with 31 co-contributing countries, and established the Belt and Road Energy Cooperation Partnership with 32 co-contributing countries. China has launched the International Alliance for Green Development of the Belt and Road, established the International Research Institute for Green Development of the Belt and Road, and built the Big data service platform for ecological and environmental protection of the Belt and Road to help countries improve their environmental governance capacity and improve people's well-being. In the face of the epidemic, countries along the Belt and Road are helping each other. China has carried out extensive international cooperation against COVID-19, demonstrating its responsibility as a major country.

After ten years of development, the Belt and Road has a growing circle of friends, more and more good partners, higher quality cooperation and better prospects for development. The Belt and Road Initiative has established a platform for international cooperation with broad participation and a practical platform for building a community with a shared future for mankind. It has been widely welcomed by the international community and has made important contributions to boosting confidence in global economic recovery and promoting reform of the global governance system.Editor/XingWentao