Why BRI is on the right side of history

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with distinguished guests attending the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, October 17, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

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Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of building a global community of shared future in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on Wednesday. Themed as "High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity," the forum attracted more than 4,000 delegates in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

"China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better," President Xi stressed. The BRI is in alignment with the concept of a global community of shared future. Through BRI cooperation, China has been opening its doors even wider over the past decade, turning its inland regions from "fullbacks" to "forwards" and establishing closer ties with the global market. Meanwhile, participating countries have been striving to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, remove trade barriers, and improve business environments under the BRI framework.

From 2013 to 2022, the cumulative value of imports and exports between China and BRI partner countries reached $19.1 trillion, with an average annual growth rate of 6.4 percent, according to the white paper "The Belt and Road Initiative: A Key Pillar of the Global Community of Shared Future." With the BRI, the world is working together to make the "pie of cooperation" bigger.

A floral arrangement for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation near Beijing's National Convention Center, China. [Photo/Xinhua]

Win-win cooperation is the sure way to success in launching major initiatives that benefit all, President Xi stressed. When countries act in concert, a deep chasm can be turned into a thoroughfare, land-locked countries can become land-linked, and a place of underdevelopment can be transformed into a land of prosperity. Just as the saying goes, "when you give roses to others, their fragrance lingers on your hand."

Belt and Road cooperation is based on the belief that "flame runs high when everyone adds wood to the fire" and that mutual support can get us far. The BRI was proposed by China, but belongs to the whole world. It aims to promote connectivity, mutual benefit, and common development, all in an attempt to build a global community of shared future. Its multi-win nature is recognized by an increasing number of countries, and this is why over 150 countries and 30-plus international organizations across five continents had signed BRI cooperation agreements with China by June 2023.

In pursuit of common development and prosperity, ideological confrontation, geopolitical rivalry and bloc politics are not a choice in BRI cooperation, as President Xi said on Wednesday. "What we stand against are unilateral sanctions, economic coercion and decoupling and supply chain disruption," President Xi said. This is why the BRI is never a threat to others' development.

"Contrary to the Western-led model, the BRI prioritizes pragmatic infrastructure and economic development without imposing political conditions," Naseem Khan Achakzai, advisor to the Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly and Executive Director of the Grandview Institution in Pakistan, told CGTN earlier.

This determines that the BRI will stand on the right side of history. "The BRI has become the largest and most beneficial project in the modern history of the world to promote common development and common prosperity," said Sudheendra Kulkarni, former Director of Operations of the Prime Minister's Office of India. While the BRI's robust and fruitful cooperation in its first decade is an undeniable fact, the initiative is on its new journey toward another golden decade.