PHOTO: The Belt and Road Initiative connecting routes
By Nicholas D. Nimley, a Contributing Writer in Beijing, China
BEIJING- Renmin University of China, one of the country’s premier universities, has held an international forum on the 10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, with three former world leaders speaking at the event.
The forum, which was held last week, Thursday, 17th August, saw the launch of the book series titled: “Ten Years into the Belt and Road Initiative”, with 8 books in 9 languages on display.
The BRI put forward in 2013, Chinese president Xi Jinping, seeks to build the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kazakhstan, highlighting the need to strengthen policy, coordination, road connectivity, unimpeded trade, currency circulation and people-to-people exchanges and to gradually form and expand regional cooperation.
Over 152 countries and 32 international organizations have signed about 200 BRI cooperation documents.
Zhang Donggang, Chair of the University Council noted the Belt and Road Initiative, known as the “BRI”, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping is also intended to engage and to realize common development across the globe.
He said the BRI is the actual action of various countries and it is the better way for prosperity for countries. He said it will be more open and inclusive, because it is also about shared benefits for the people of the world.
Regarding the book’s launch, Zhang termed it a “great time”, the achievements made, following a series of studies and follow-up by Renmin University of China.
He disclosed that the studies were intended to build a system of theories and cultivation of thoughts of the BRI through strengthening cooperation and to consolidate more wisdom.
For his part, Boris Tadic, the former President of Serbia said: “the substance of the BRI as one of the benefits for all has brought significant progress in terms of peace and diplomatic activities between Saudi Arabia and Iran.”
Tadic expressed the need for countries to have critical thinkers, especially professors who will meaningfully contribute to the future of the Belt and Road Initiative, by being able to predict the future.
The former Serbian president indicated that shorter routes to facilitate trade and commerce between Europe and China has made the BRI an important player in the global arena.
Furthermore, he said, the world was facing food security due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the respect for territorial integrity of Ukraine as part of the global order was important, just as the respect for territorial integrity regarding Chinese Province Taiwan.
“Respect territorial integrity is very important as part of the global order. We respect territorial integrity regarding China and Taiwan. So people, we believe, should respect that especially with the Ukraine”. He said.
He called on China to reduce stereotypes and prejudices in terms of strengthening the BRI, adding that China solves a huge problem between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and they need to do more.
He also explained that China is the best possible interlocker for the crisis between Russia and Ukraine in proposing a plan to end the conflict.
Also, former Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zlatko Lagumdzija said that the BRI is a better global development path.
Ex-Prime Minister Lagumdzjia stated that global threats require shared leadership, and the world was facing threats of pollution, climate change, conflicts and food crisis; and added that the world is still looking for answers on complex problems. The world, he said, needs China, and China needs the world.
Djoomart Otorbaev, Former Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, said the BRI should transition from quantity to quality, because “quality” shows results oriented projects.
The former Kyrgyzstan urged leaders of the BRI countries to work on a pragmatic approach by building new credit rate financial institutions like the Asian Development Bank, because it is the right way of providing loans for projects across the world.