Wang Yi: Belt and Road Opportunities `Belong to the World’

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the national Party Congress today that notable progress had been made since the Belt and Road Initiative had been initiated in 2014.

“Today over 70 nations have expressed interest in the Belt and Road, and over 30 countries have agreed to build it” he said. “And the first Silk Road Fund projects have been launched.” He then pointed to the various rail corridor projects that have been initiated: China-­Mongolia-­Russia, the Pakistan corridor, a Budapest-­Belgrade high-­speed railroad, Jakarta-­Bandung high-­speed rail, and the rail links to Laos and to Thailand.

He also said that Industrial Capacity Cooperation agreements had been signed by 20 countries.

“The Belt and Road was a project launched by China, but the opportunities belong to the world,” Wang said. “This project echoes the general trend of Asian and European countries for cooperation and development. It shows that China is transitioning rapidly from a mere participant in the international system to a provider of public goods. In building the Belt and Road we follow the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefit. It is an open initiative, not a Monroe Doctrine or some expansionism. What the Belt and Road Initiative unfolds in the eyes of the world will be a new historical painting of shared development and prosperity on the entire Eurasian continent.”