Pragmatism can lead Silk Roads to success
Updated: 2015-02-25 08:24
By Huang Yiping(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
More than 500 delegates and entrepreneurs from countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt attended the China-EU Rail Logistics Forum Multi-communication, in Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan province, Friday. [Photo by Xiang Mingchao/provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
The Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives of President Xi Jinping are aimed at promoting regional economic cooperation. Being supplementary to the existing world economic order, the initiatives will help boost regional economic cooperation and development through infrastructure construction based on China's successful experiences over the past decades.
The "Belt and Road Initiatives" are the first independent concept put forward by China for international economic cooperation. They are particularly important in the context of the International Monetary Fund's failed efforts to push forward infrastructure investment.
Given their popularity among some Southeast, South, Central and West Asian countries, the initiatives, if well implemented, will become a vital component of the established international system. The advance of China's westward economic cooperation is also expected to lower the risk of direct conflicts between China and the United States in the Pacific and help Beijing follow its "peaceful development" strategy.
But while implementing the initiatives, China should refrain from using them as a Cold War tool.
Recently, some international relations scholars claimed that a bipolar confrontation, with China and Russia on one side and the US and Japan on the other, is taking shape in the Pacific where the two camps are competing to assume the power to make the new rules. China, the scholars believe, has to strive to be the top military power to ensure that it exercises the power to make the rules and safeguard its economic interests.
Such views are preposterous given that China is not poised to challenge the US' position in the region. China may be the second-largest economy in the world, but its economic development is still to reach an advanced level. And the disintegration of the Soviet Union taught China a lesson: military power not built on economic strength will not last long.
China should make efforts to prevent the well-conceived "Belt and Road Initiatives" from becoming the international version of its "go west" policy. The need, therefore, is to reflect on the failure of the strategy to achieve expected results in developing the country's western region, the rise of the central region and the revival of the old industrial base in its northeast.
- Global health entering new era: WHO chief
- Brazil's planning minister steps aside after recordings revelation
- Vietnam, US adopt joint statement on advancing comprehensive partnership
- European border closures 'inhumane': UN refugee agency
- Japan's foreign minister calls A-bombings extremely regrettable
- Fukushima impact unprecedented for oceans: US expert
- Stars of Lijiang River: Elderly brothers with white beards
- Wealthy Chinese children paying money to learn British manners
- Military-style wedding: Fighter jets, grooms in dashing uniforms
- Striking photos around the world: May 16 - May 22
- Robots help elderly in nursing home in east China
- Hanging in the air: Chongqing holds rescue drill
- 2.1-ton tofu finishes in two hours in central China
- Six things you may not know about Grain Buds
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Liang avoids jail in shooting death
China's finance minister addresses ratings downgrade
Duke alumni visit Chinese Embassy
Marriott unlikely to top Anbang offer for Starwood: Observers
Chinese biopharma debuts on Nasdaq
What ends Jeb Bush's White House hopes
Investigation for Nicolas's campaign
Will US-ASEAN meeting be good for region?
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |