High-quality cooperation guarantee of bright future for shared benefits of Belt and Road

When China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, few would have expected it to become such a major global public good in such a short span of time. That it has is because of the tangible benefits it has produced for all the participants. Under the BRI framework countries have strengthened their connectivity with the world thanks to the construction of much-needed infrastructure, and boosted their development prospects through win-win cooperation with China.

The important roles BRI projects have played in enhancing people's livelihoods and narrowing the global development gaps have made the modern Silk Road a road of hope, a road of development, a road of opportunity, and a road to a greener future. That is why the initiative has become increasingly popular around the world.

The popularity of the initiative is an incontrovertible rebuttal to the smears of some that the initiative is nothing but a geopolitical tool and Belt and Road cooperation a debt trap. Contrary to those allegations, the BRI is testament to China's perspicacity and perseverance, and its ability to turn blueprints into reality. It is evidence of its courage to pursue the greater good despite the potential pitfalls.

The fourth symposium on Belt and Road construction work held in Beijing on Monday has therefore caught widespread attention, as it offers an insight into Beijing's latest views on Belt and Road cooperation. The previous symposiums, held in 2016, 2018 and 2021, all directly guided the subsequent implementation of the BRI.

The call President Xi Jinping made at Monday's meeting for all participating parties to comprehensively advance high-quality cooperation shows that the BRI has now entered a new stage.

With the world convulsed by turbulence and change, Xi urged efforts to appropriately manage all types of risks and challenges and effectively address the impact of geopolitical conflicts, so as to effectively advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Xi urged all relevant parties to properly handle the relationship between strengthening participating countries' sense of fulfillment and ensuring the benefits for China, calling for concrete measures to safeguard China's overseas interests related to Belt and Road cooperation.

It is the well handling of this relationship and the protection of China's overseas interests that will guarantee the sustainability of relevant projects in the long run.

So far, China has signed cooperation documents under the framework of the BRI with over 150 countries and over 30 international organizations. And data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that by the end of 2023, Chinese companies had established 17,000 overseas enterprises in countries participating in the BRI, and their direct investment stock exceeded $330 billion.

That means the participating countries should more actively fulfill their obligations and responsibilities under their Belt and Road agreements, to not only ensure relevant projects can be accomplished as planned, but also that the projects will be properly protected and well managed.

All participating parties should therefore improve the planning, coordination and management mechanisms, so as to uphold the principle of "planning together, building together, and benefiting together" and adhere to the requirement that the Belt and Road is open, green and clean.

In line with the focus on high-quality cooperation, China's future Belt and Road investments and inputs will be more results-oriented with greater attention to be paid to the actual input-output efficiency of projects. This is crucial to ensure that the high-quality BRI cooperation is sustainable.

The modern Silk Road is a road that is open to all. There is no small yard or high wall. The initiative originated in China, but it creates opportunities and good results for all participating parties, who by acting courageously and with a sense of responsibility can continuously create new space for win-win development at a higher level.