The Belt and Road Initiative (一带一路) is a development strategy first launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, with the goal of fostering trade, connectivity and cooperation between China and other countries situated along the historic Silk Road.
The initiative is comprised of two legs – the land-based Silk Road Economic Belt (丝绸之路经济带) and the oceangoing 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (21世纪海上丝绸之路).
Development History
President Xi Jinping first unveiled the initiative in September 2013, when he made repeated reference to the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative during official state visits to nation in Central Asia and South-east Asia.
On 28 March the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly released the “Vision and Action for Advancing the Joint Establishment of the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road” (推动共建丝绸之路经济带和21世纪海上丝绸之路的愿景与行动)
The Silk Road Economic Belt would seek to better integrate all nations situated along the historic Silk Road that passes from China to Central Asia, West Asia, the Middle East and Europe, via infrastructure development, greater cultural interaction and expanded trade ties.
Within China it would involve a total of 13 province-level administrative units situated in central, western and northern parts of the country, including Chongqing, Gansu, Guangxi, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Xinjiang, Xizang and Yunnan.
The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road would seek to form a sea and land-based ring connecting the three contents of Europe, Asia and Africa.
Within China it would involve a total of five province-level administrative units, including Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Shanghai and Zhejiang.
Principles for Common Establishment
The principles for the common establishment of the Belt and Road Initiative are as follows:
Strictly abide by the goals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Strictly abide by the five principles for peaceful co-existence, being respect for the sovereign and territorial integrity of all nations , no mutual invasion, no