Experts: Countries are misreading China’s motives for the Belt & Road Initiative

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A group of some 20 scholars and experts gathered in Beijing on Friday to discuss the theoretical implementation of China’s Belt & Road Initiative and how it can better facilitate cooperation among the participating countries.

“Inter-disciplinary studies should be conducted to prove that the theoretical basis of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is of vital importance. Universities and think tanks should take the initiative to fulfill the missions assigned by the government,” said Hu Zhengrong, president of the Communication University of China.

“The past year can be seen as a milestone in China’s development, which also saw some progress in the Belt and Road Initiative. In particular, last May’s Belt and Road Cooperation Forum symbolized that the initiative has moved on to a new stage.”

The general consensus among the attendees was that many countries are misreading China's motives for implementing the initiative, due to a lack of understanding.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and world leaders attending the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation pose for a group photo in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2017. Xi attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a keynote speech. /Xinhua Photo

“There are so many people involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, who may have different cultures, histories and languages… From (CGTN’s) perspective, I think we need to find a point of sentimental agreement, a consensus we don’t need too much language to reach,” said Liu Ge, deputy director of CGTN English Service.

China held the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May last year, which drew 29 foreign heads of state and government and representatives from more than 130 countries and 70 international organizations.

The forum served as a platform for working out action plans for implementation of the initiative in the areas of infrastructure, energy and resources, production capacity, trade and investment and identification of major projects.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a development strategy proposed in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping that focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries.

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