Strive for New Progress in High-Quality Belt and Road Development

Strive for New Progress in High-Quality Belt and Road Development*

November 19, 2021

We must apply the new development philosophy in full, to the letter and in all fields, and pursue high-quality, sustainable and people-centered growth through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). We must consolidate the foundations for connectivity, expand areas of international cooperation, and strengthen the network of risk prevention and control. To make new progress in high-quality Belt and Road development, we need to implement higher standards in cooperation, work for better deliverables from investment, ensure higher-quality supply, and build stronger resilience in development.

Over the past eight years, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, we have stepped up the overall planning and made coordinated progress in promoting high-quality development, fostering a new development dynamic, and advancing BRI cooperation.

Committed to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, we have achieved significant and tangible results by strengthening “hard connectivity” in infrastructure, “soft connectivity” through harmonized rules and standards, and people-to-people connectivity.

BRI cooperation has helped regions across the country to open wider to the world. More sectors have joined, and new progress has been made in opening up on the institutional level. We have made more friends across the world and found new paths of common development, realizing mutual benefit with participating countries.

To further BRI cooperation, we need to work on the following:

– Have a clear understanding of the new circumstances we are facing.

On the whole, peace and development remain the main themes of our times, the general direction of economic globalization has not changed, and shifts in the international strategic landscape are favorable for our country. This affords great opportunities for BRI cooperation.

However, the international situation is becoming increasingly complex for BRI, as we face an accelerating rate of change on a scale unseen in a century. A new revolution in science, technology and industry has led to fierce competition, while climate change, Covid-19 and other global problems have had a severe impact on society.

In response, we must maintain strategic resolve and seize strategic opportunities. We need to balance development and security, domestic and international imperatives, cooperation and competition, projects in the execution and planning stages, and broader considerations and specific priorities, so as to meet challenges with a proactive approach, exploit positive factors, and avoid adverse impacts.

– Consolidate the foundations for Belt and Road cooperation.

We must expand mutual political trust and strengthen policy coordination to guide and facilitate cooperation. We must explore and establish more cooperation mechanisms and turn political consensus into concrete actions, and shared vision into tangible results.

We will strengthen infrastructure connectivity and build a better network that spans land, sea, air and cyberspace. We will intensify cooperation in both traditional and new-type infrastructure projects, and strengthen the “soft connectivity” through harmonized rules and standards among participating countries, to contribute to global connectivity.

We will promote unimpeded trade. We will expand trade with neighboring countries, encourage more imports of high-quality products, and facilitate free trade and investment, making trade more balanced and mutually beneficial.

We will continue to expand third-party and multiparty market cooperation, and cooperation with other countries in building industrial capacity.

We will strengthen financial connectivity. We will work towards extensive participation by multilateral development agencies and financial institutions from developed countries in BRI cooperation. We will improve the framework for diversified investment and financing.

We will encourage more people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and facilitate multifaceted interaction.

– Expand areas of cooperation.

We will foster new areas of cooperation and strengthen cooperation in health, green development, the digital economy, and innovation.

We will continue to engage in international cooperation on the Covid-19 response, and offer assistance within our capacity to BRI participating countries. We will support other developing countries in the development of green and low-carbon energy, promote capacity building, share related information, and expand cooperation in eco-environmental protection and climate governance.

We will increase cooperation in the digital economy by promoting Silk Road e-commerce, and foster an environment favorable to this cooperation.

We will implement the action plan for sci-tech innovation and strengthen international cooperation in protecting intellectual property rights, so as to create an open, fair, equitable and nondiscriminatory environment for sci-tech progress.

– Contribute to a new development dynamic.

We must coordinate a new development dynamic with BRI cooperation, with a focus on building new connections and creating new drivers of growth.

We will accelerate the construction of land transport routes that are safe and smooth and complement each other with their respective advantages, and improve maritime transport routes, so that these transport networks will give a boost to domestic and global economic flows.

We must do what is needed to ensure supply chains are smoothly connected with industrial chains and to diversify sources of supply. We will complete some high-quality flagship projects. We will also launch high-quality landmark projects for improving quality of life as this can be an effective way to increase sense of fulfillment in BRI participating countries. We must make proper plans to ensure that these projects meet the practical needs of local people, and win their support.

– Strengthen risk prevention and control across the board.

We must strictly enforce risk control systems and see that enterprises take on their primary responsibilities, and relevant departments effectively perform their administrative duties.

We will develop a comprehensive early warning and risk assessment platform for overseas projects that operates round-the-clock services and issues early warnings whenever necessary, while providing risk assessments on a regular basis. We must build greater synergy between the mechanisms for security control, the fight against international terrorism, and the protection of our overseas interests.

We must balance the Covid-19 response and BRI cooperation to protect the lives and health of Chinese workers abroad. We must take targeted measures to guarantee material supplies and financial support, meet the demand for labor, and ensure rotation of staff and workers stationed abroad. We should also educate and guide our citizens and enterprises working abroad to conscientiously observe local laws and customs.

In addition, we should move faster to develop well-conceived laws and regulations to combat foreign-related corruption, and step up efforts to eliminate cross-border corruption. Enterprises must regulate their business activities. Never will we ever allow any action that could damage China’s image abroad. Any violation of the law or disciplinary norms will be subject to severe punishment.

– Strengthen overall planning and coordination.

We must uphold the centralized, unified leadership of the Party. The BRI leading group should coordinate and follow up on major plans, policies, projects, issues and key annual tasks. Relevant departments must keep BRI-related work high on their agenda, and shoulder their responsibilities in implementing overseas projects and controlling risks associated with them. Local governments must be clear about their roles in promoting the BRI.

It is important to cultivate public opinion favorable to BRI cooperation. We can do so through communication and outreach, explaining the philosophy, principles and operating mechanisms of the BRI and telling accurate and engaging stories of BRI cooperation.

* Main points of the speech at the third meeting on the Belt and Road Initiative.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)