This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. On August 27, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the symposium on the fifth anniversary of advancing the Belt and Road Initiative at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and delivered an important speech. He emphasized that the joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative conforms to the inherent requirements of the reform of the global governance system, demonstrates the awareness of a community with a shared future featuring mutual assistance and shared rights and responsibilities, and provides new ideas and new plans for improving the reform of the global governance system. Xi Jinping's speech points the way for the next step in jointly building the Belt and Road.
In September 2013, President Xi Jinping visited Kazakhstan and proposed the joint building of the Silk Road Economic Belt at Nazarbayev University; in October of the same year, Xi Jinping proposed the joint building of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in Indonesia. Since then, the Belt and Road Initiative has entered the world's vision and gradually aroused global resonance. On July 10, the Eighth Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum opened in Beijing. Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered an important speech. He said that Arab states are natural partners in jointly building the Belt and Road.
Extensive Consultation, Joint Contribution and Shared Benefits
For the Belt and Road construction, what Xi Jinping uses most is the three "shared" principles: extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. These three "shared" principles have become the basic principles for advancing the Belt and Road construction and have also become the consensus of the countries along the routes.
Extensive consultation means that matters are discussed by all parties and no one dictates. Xi Jinping has emphasized this principle on many occasions. At the large-scale meeting of the BRICS Leaders' Xiamen Summit held in September last year, Xi Jinping pointed out that BRICS countries do not engage in one-voice domination and that all matters are discussed by all. In July this year, when Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the Eighth Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, he emphasized that we should adhere to dialogue and consultation. Many matters in the Middle East are intricate and complex, and all parties should discuss them together; no single family can have the final say, and even if one family did, it would not be possible to have the final say. The same applies to the Belt and Road construction.
Joint contribution means that everyone builds together. On March 28, 2015, when Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia and delivered a keynote speech, he emphasized: "The Belt and Road construction is not a solo performance by China, but a chorus of the countries along the routes." On July 25 this year, when Xi Jinping was invited to attend the BRICS Business Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, and delivered a speech, he pointed out: We sincerely hope that BRICS countries, African countries, and the vast number of emerging market countries and developing countries will join the Belt and Road partnership network, so that the fruits of jointly building the Belt and Road will benefit more countries and peoples. The Belt and Road construction is an open and inclusive platform, and all parties are welcome to participate.
Shared benefits mean that the development fruits are shared by all parties. Xi Jinping has said many times that the initiative of jointly building the Belt and Road originated in China, but the opportunities and fruits belong to the world. In August 2016, at the symposium on advancing the Belt and Road construction, Xi Jinping emphasized that we should grasp development as the greatest common denominator, benefiting not only the Chinese people but also the people of the countries along the routes.
Responding to External Doubts
Nevertheless, some people in the international community still view the Belt and Road construction through colored glasses, and even deliberately smear it and create discordant voices. In response, Xi Jinping also responded in his recent speeches to dispel doubts and set the record straight. On August 27, when Xi Jinping attended the symposium on the fifth anniversary of advancing the Belt and Road construction and delivered an important speech, he emphasized that jointly building the Belt and Road is an economic cooperation initiative, not a geopolitical alliance or military alliance; it is an open and inclusive process, not a closed-door small circle or "China Club"; it does not draw lines by ideology and does not engage in zero-sum games. As long as countries are willing, we welcome them all.
On April 11, when Xi Jinping collectively met with current and incoming members of the Boao Forum for Asia Board of Directors in Boao, he pointed out that the Belt and Road is not a conspiracy by China as some in the international community claim; it is neither the Marshall Plan after World War II nor any kind of Chinese scheme.
On April 10, when Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018, he clearly stated that the initiative of jointly building the Belt and Road originated in China, but the opportunities and fruits belong to the world. China does not calculate narrow geopolitical gains, does not engage in closed and exclusive small circles, and does not practice forced buying and selling that overrides others.