The Belt and Road Initiative, announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, is China's global strategy to boost economic links on different continents including Asia, Europe and Africa, aiming to connect countries through policy communication, infrastructure construction, trade, finance, and people-to-people exchanges.

While many are suspicious of the project’s size and consider it a Sino-centric initiative, experts say the Belt and Road Initiative is a Chinese “baby", growing up with inclusiveness and bringing benefits globally.

In total, the initiative will reach almost 4.5 billion people, or about 63% of the world's population. Most countries along the Belt and Road network are emerging markets, and developing countries, which cover 29% of global output.

It could be understandable when some people get suspicious of the project’s size, because such massive and ambitious projects have never been seen before. “It goes beyond the imagination," according to Professor Wang Yiwei, Director of the Center for European Studies at Renmin University.

But the goal of the project should not be misunderstood. The chair of Britcham in China, Clare Pearson, who previously said, “Don't ask Western media about the Belt and Road, ask residents along the route," adding that, "the Belt and Road Initiative benefits the countries and areas along the route with no doubt."

According to Pearson, residents along the route welcome the Belt and Road Initiative, as the strategy has brought more convenience to their lives, both in terms of transport, facilities used in their daily lives, and more.

“How do we check if the people like it, number one CONSULT before going, not just with government, with ordinary people. Hardware successes are number one, then software or soft power could come as number two,” Pearson stressed.

While the strategy has been labeled as a mythic “Sino-centric initiative”, Wang considers the Belt and Road as being a truly inclusive initiative, since, “China just initiated the project, but it is benefiting other regions. We said that we should build all, build by all and build for all. It’s not built by China.”

Data from the Commerce Ministry shows that overall bilateral trade exceeded 0.2 trillion US dollars, up 26% from a year ago. Chinese firms invested three billion US dollars in related countries, nearly 15% of the non-financial overseas direct investment.

Even though China has seen some gains from the Belt and Road Initiative, domestic concern still exists that whether the investments are made on commercial merits. China described the project as a business deal, not political in nature, but Wang said that its success must be measured by strategic gains, by political gains, not just business returns.

“Among thousands of the Belt and Road projects, there are three major projects. The NO.1 is the strategic project, not only bilateral benefits, but also regional benefits. The second is policy-oriented with few economic returns in the short-term but huge potential of making money in the long-term. The third is more commercial, which is market-oriented,” Wang explained.

Agreeing with Wang, Pearson also said the meaning of Belt and Road cannot be measured by economic output, but by the influences it brings to the domestic society and the world.

“I think it is really import to take all opinions into account. You need to really check what grass-root societies are appreciating from the Belt and Road, not just the economic output, the political gain, but actually the benefits to the grass-roots people,” Pearson told CGTN.

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