Europe's initial response to the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is changing from that of uncertainty and unease to certified endorsement and cooperation in trade, investment and finance.

This first became evident on March 23 when Italy inked trade and finance deals with China during President Xi Jinping's visit to Rome. With this, Italy became the first country of Group of 7 (G7) and founding member of the European Union (EU) to join the massive infrastructure and investment project.

Rome's decision raised some eyebrows among allies, including the U.S., but to no avail. Italy says it will work with China to develop its below par transport, logistics and port infrastructure.

Switzerland wants to follow suit and it's no small thing, of course. The Swiss Confederation is set to become the second developed European market economy to get on board the BRI. According to President Ueli Maurer, that's exactly what Bern plans to do: Signing a memorandum of understanding with China and broadening cooperation on the global platform.

In President Maurer's words, "The projects within the BRI are the most important investment projects of this century. If we want prosperity - and we want prosperity - there has to be investment first. This project will serve the entire world, and we are happy to make a small contribution to it."

On balance, President Maurer's endorsement of the China-proposed multi-billion-dollar infrastructure and trade initiative is significant in several ways.

To begin with, Switzerland has a free-trade agreement with China. Its formal support for the BRI shows that cooperation with China has been a win-win venture, and building infrastructure interconnectivity, institutionalizing investment and trade, as well as social and cultural exchanges would render similar results.

Secondly, it proves that the global maritime, energy and transport projects being built on the platform of BRI are transparent, prosperous and modern. That explains why Switzerland, whose economy is ranked among the freest in Europe and above the world average, wants to broaden cooperation with China in trade, insurance and project financing.

Thirdly, Swiss support for the BRI foreshadows future support from other European countries. It will pave the way for greater relations between China and Europe. To take just one example of this obvious conclusion, the BRI has already drawn the attention of Germany and the UK.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the BRI is an important project that Europeans want to participate in. British finance minister Philip Hammond has also maintained that the UK will help realize the BRI's potential, describing the global initiative as a “vision”.

Switzerland's formal support for this internationalist “vision” should be understood within this context. This unified market could serve as a bridge for larger Sino-European cooperation - a historic opportunity that no country in Europe could possibly afford to lose.

This isn't even contestable information anymore. European leaders realize that their economies and people stand to benefit from broader relations with the world's second-biggest economy. The BRI could act as a gateway to steward local businesses and create jobs and security for many people across significant parts of the European continent.

What this underlines is that sooner or later more pragmatic European governments will be willing to institutionalize dialogue to join the BRI for sustainable growth, equal opportunities and top-level exchanges with China. They will be able to bring their own values to this global program too. The largest infrastructure development project of the 21st century is not just about trade, investment and finance. It's also about bringing voices and cultures together. Taking a long jog, it's already happening in many parts of the world.

(Cover photo: Ueli Maurer, president of the Swiss Confederation and federal councilor of finance (C), speaks to the media ahead of the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, April 25, 2019. /CGTN Photo)