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Change in China’s Foreign Policy and The Belt and Road

Initiative

CHEN WENLING

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contents

1.What is the Belt and Road Initiative?2.Why should we put forward the Belt and Road

Initiative?3.The framework and Cooperation Priorities of

the Belt and Road Initiative4.How should we put forward the Belt and Road

Initiative

31.What is the Belt and Road Initia-tive?

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Cen-tral Asia and Southeast Asia in September and October of 2013, he raised the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (hereinafter re-ferred to as the Belt and Road), which have at-tracted close attention from all over the world.

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Ancient Silk Road

Ancient Silk Road started with Chang’an(now Xi’an) and Luoyang, via Gansu and Xinjiang, finally reached Central Asia and West Asia. It also linked various Mediterranean countries.

Countries and regions besides Silk Road exchanged a lot of commodities including silk, furs, jewelry and perfume. It promoted the friendly contacts between Asian and Euro-pean counties and China.

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Ancient Silk Road

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What is the Belt and Road Initiative?

The Belt refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt, the Regional Economic Cooperation between China , Central Asia and Europe started through the ancient Silk Road ;the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road refers to the cooperation between China and Southeast Asia, Indian Ocean Region, Mediterranean region

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What is the Belt and Road Initiative?

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What is the Belt and Road Initiative?

the Belt and Road along countries and regions (including EU members) covers nearly 50 million people, a total of about $ 39 trillion economy, 70% and 52% of the global economy.

Countries along the Belt and Road have their own resource advantages and their economies are mutually complemen-tary. Therefore, there is a great potential and space for co-operation.

92.Why should we put forward the Belt and Road Initiative?

2.1International background2.2 Domestic background2.3 Aims of the Belt and Road

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International background

In the 21st century, Complex and profound changes are taking place in the world.

The underlying impact of the international finan-cial crisis keeps emerging; the world economy is recovering slowly, and global development is un-even

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International background

One of the most heartening developments in re-cent years has been the broad progress in human development of many developing countries and their emergence onto the global stage: the “rise of the South”.

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Domestic background

China has overtaken Japan as the world’s second biggest economy. China's economy is closely con-nected with the world economy.

13Why should we put forward the Belt and Road Initiative?

The initiative to jointly build the Belt and Road, em-bracing the trend toward a multipolar world, eco-nomic globalization, cultural diversity and greater IT application, is designed to uphold the global free trade regime and the open world economy in the spirit of open regional cooperation. Jointly building the Belt and Road is in the interests of the world community.

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Aims of the Belt and Road

It aims to promote orderly and free flow of economic factors, highly effi-cient allocation of resources and deep integration of markets; encourage the countries along the Belt and Road to achieve economic policy coordi-nation and carry out broader and more in-depth regional cooperation of higher standards; and jointly create an open, inclusive and balanced re-gional economic cooperation architecture that benefits all.

It aims to promote the connectivity of Asian, European and African conti-nents and their adjacent seas, establish and strengthen partnerships among the countries along the Belt and Road, set up all-dimensional, mul-titiered and composite connectivity networks, and realize diversified, inde-pendent, balanced and sustainable development in these countries.

15The framework and Cooperation Priorities of the Belt and Road Initiative

On land, the Initiative will focus on jointly building a new Eurasian Land Bridge and developing China-Mon-golia-Russia, China-Central Asia-West Asia and China-Indochina Peninsula economic corridors by taking ad-vantage of international transport routes, relying on core cities along the Belt and Road and using key eco-nomic industrial parks as cooperation platforms.

16The framework and Cooperation Priorities of the Belt and Road Initiative

At sea, the Initiative will focus on jointly building smooth, secure and efficient transport routes connecting major sea ports along the Belt and Road. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor are closely related to the Belt and Road Initiative, and therefore require closer cooperation and greater progress. Countries along the Belt and Road will strengthen cooperation in policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bonds, etc.

174.How should we put forward the Belt and Road Initiative

4.1We should strengthen multilateral cooperation mechanisms, make full use of existing mechanisms such as the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO), ASEAN Plus China (10+1), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), etc.;

4.2 We should enhance the role of bilateral cooperation, align and coordinate the development strategies of the countries along the Belt and Road through the connectivity projects

184.How should we put forward the Belt and Road Initiative

4.3 we should establish the customs clearance mechanisms of the countries along the Belt and Road to promote trade liberalization and investment facilitation;

4.4we should enhance the Intergovernmental cooperation and exchange mechanism to promote the Belt and Road.