On September 7, 2013, the Chairman put forward the major initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt.

On October 3, 2013, the President put forward the major initiative of jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Starting from the golden Autumn of 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative, as a project of the century bearing the mission of our times, has opened a new page in the course of world development.

This is a great effort to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Turning ideas into actions and visions into reality, the Belt and Road Initiative has been widely welcomed and responded to worldwide by promoting development and benefiting the people.

In 2018, as the world focuses on the achievements China has made in the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, it is more and more aware that China's initiative to advance the Belt and Road Initiative is a testament to China's comprehensive deepening of reform and opening-up in the new era, and a concrete action that China is committed to strengthening international cooperation and improving global governance.

Five years of fruitful sharing, orange, yellow, orange and green garden fragrance. The Belt and Road Initiative is on a remarkable journey toward peace, prosperity, openness, green development, innovation and civilization. It is full of vitality, confidence and expectations.

(1)The first five years are commendable. The Belt and Road Initiative is moving toward a stage of lasting development with solid foundations and pillars.

The Belt and Road Initiative is open to all like-minded friends, and its influence and appeal are growing. More than 130 countries and international organizations signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with China. Resolution 2344 adopted by the UN Security Council calls on the international community to strengthen regional economic cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative. China successfully hosted the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which was attended by heads of state and government from 29 countries and more than 1,500 representatives from over 130 countries and 70 international organizations, covering all regions of the five continents and reaching 279 outcomes.

China's participation in and support for the Belt and Road Initiative with concrete actions has become a "hot phenomenon" in the international community. The UK set up a Council of Experts and was the first to announce its support for 25 billion pounds of Belt and Road projects in Asia. The China-Britain Business Council has published four Belt and Road reports. The Standard Chartered Bank will provide at least 20 billion U.S. dollars in financing support for Belt and Road projects by the end of 2020. The Swiss government has set up the Belt and Road Advisory and Coordination Office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Swiss Bankers Association has set up the Belt and Road Financial Liaison Office. Germany's Siemens and hundreds of Chinese companies have joined hands to explore the Belt and Road market. Since 2015, Japan Express has cooperated with China Railway Corporation to assist Japanese enterprises in China to carry out regular transportation business to Central Asia and Europe through China-Europe Express... The boom in Belt and Road cooperation is expanding in both breadth and depth, from government to business and from official to private sectors.

Over the past five years, the Belt and Road Initiative has greatly improved China's trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. It has extended China's open space from the coast and the river to the inland and border areas, creating a new pattern of opening-up featuring interconnected land and sea areas and two-way east-west economies. China's trade in goods with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative has exceeded US $5 trillion, and China's outbound direct investment has exceeded US $60 billion, creating more than 200,000 local jobs. China's outbound investment has become an important engine driving the growth of global outbound direct investment.

Over the past five years, practical actions have enabled major projects to take root in countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Smooth progress was made in building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor. The construction of the Azerbaijana-Kyrgyzstan Railway and the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway was completed and opened to traffic, and the construction of the China-Laos Railway, the China-Thailand Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway and the Hungary-Serbia Railway began. The China-Belarus Industrial Park, the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone in Cambodia and the Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt have become examples of Belt and Road industrial cooperation. The Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, Gwadar Port in Pakistan and Piraeus Port in Greece are in smooth operation. More than 10,000 China-Europe freight trains have flown to 43 cities in 15 European countries.

Over the past five years, win-win cooperation has given the people a tangible sense of gain. Thanks to the opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative, enterprises have more opportunities for development, people have more job opportunities, and people's living and consumption power has been enhanced. From food and clothing to shopping malls, shopping malls have more choices of goods, more delicious food on the table, and more convenient online and offline consumption...

"The Belt and Road is a concept of connectivity that connects people of different countries in various ways", "the Belt and Road Initiative has opened up a new path of win-win cooperation and common development for all countries in the world", "The Belt and Road is not a simple engineering project, but a development philosophy, a brand new concept of cooperation and development"... People around the world spoke highly of the global public goods that China has contributed to the world and worked with other countries to create.

Through this public product, people recall the dance drama Flower Rain on the Silk Road, which attracted the world's attention in the early stage of China's reform and opening up. At Dunhuang, the key road of the ancient Silk Road, the dancing of flying sky is graceful, attracting civilizations, making people friendly and sharing prosperity. The beautiful story of the Silk Road has resonated with generations. The Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit has a long history. All this is the historical code that people around the world are eager to carry on the journey of the Belt and Road Initiative.

(2)"The Belt and Road Initiative is an economic cooperation initiative, not a geopolitical or military alliance; It is an open and inclusive process, not a closed-door clique or a "China club". It is no ideological demarcation or zero-sum game. As long as countries are willing, we welcome them." These "yes" and "no" s illustrate the true nature of the Belt and Road Initiative.

In today's world, trade protectionism is on the rise, and there is an undercurrent of resistance to economic globalization. There is even a huge risk that the world economy will be dragged into high barriers and isolation. On the contrary, the Belt and Road Initiative, with its distinctive global openness, has brought valuable impetus to the world economy. No matter what their political system, geographical environment, development stage or cultural background, they can join the circle of Friends of the Belt and Road Initiative to achieve win-win cooperation through consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed it as "a win-win and promising initiative," while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed it as "a new type of economic globalization based on mutual respect and mutual interests."

It is no exaggeration to say that the practice of the Belt and Road Initiative is enough to inspire people to think more deeply about the present and future of economic globalization. Now that economic globalization has reached its present stage, much of the "low-hanging fruit" has been picked. Going forward, we must confront the structural problem of unbalanced development. According to the data of the World Bank, about 60% of the world's economic output comes from the coastal areas less than 100 kilometers away from the coastline. Some countries, especially landlocked ones, have been marginalized or even become "forgotten corners" in the process of economic globalization, which in turn restricts the process of economic globalization. There is a growing awareness that the Belt and Road Initiative is a solution to the unbalanced development of the world economy.

By synergizing the development strategies of relevant countries and regions, the Belt and Road Initiative has become an important driving force for economic globalization as it promotes policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity. It is a fact that, under the framework of the Belt and Road cooperation, Asia, Africa, Latin America and other developing regions are stepping up their infrastructure development efforts. As a result, the dividends of global economic development are being funneling to those "forgotten corners". According to experts' estimates, the past economic globalization featuring tariff concessions could boost world economic growth by up to 5%. Today, the new type of economic globalization driven by connectivity can boost world economic growth by 10-15%.

Facts show that jointly building the Belt and Road is making economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all. The international cooperation symbolised by the Belt and Road Initiative has both the willingness to embrace all rivers and the capacity for steady and long-term progress. Just as Martin Jacques, a senior fellow at the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Cambridge, UK, saw it, the Belt and Road Initiative is valuable because it combines a grand vision and every step to realize it. It is confident and powerful, and it is bound to succeed.

(3)"This is a truly great and historic undertaking. It is the broadest international economic cooperation initiative put forward by a single country in recent decades," "the 'golden key' to a better future," "ushering in historic opportunities for development"... Over the past five years, more and more participating countries have praised the Belt and Road Initiative for its pragmatic, efficient and win-win development.

The observation of the Belt and Road Initiative is inseparable from the perception and recognition of the progress of The Times. But it is a pity that some Westerners who are content with the old customs and drown in the old news still stubbornly put on colored glasses, exploit the problem and distort the facts. Some people maliciously label the Belt and Road Initiative to speculate on the so-called "China threat" based on the history of Western expansion in modern times.

To explain the "Belt and Road" with the western theory of international relations, it often falls into the dilemma of insufficient explanatory power.

"If we simply apply Western theories to explain China, there will be misunderstanding and even misinterpretation." Zheng Yongnian, a professor at the National University of Singapore, once said. Unfortunately, some people in the West are still doing this, which has missed the first five years of Belt and Road cooperation.

When connecting with the development strategies of various countries, the Belt and Road Initiative has broken the myth between the center and the periphery, and has never carried any sense of civilization superiority. This has gone beyond the geopolitical imagination of some people in the West and the traditional Western approach of conquering or assimilating the cultural and cultural differences of countries outside the region.

The fact is that the Belt and Road Initiative imposes no special requirements on the political and economic systems of the participating countries and is fully committed to maximizing the economic development potential of the participants. This is why Peter Francopan, author of Silk Road, makes the judgment that international leaders need to recognize the importance of increasing connectivity and communication, and that the Belt and Road Initiative is helping to shape the present and the future.

(4)The future must be a community with a shared future for mankind. The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind advocated by China is rooted in the time-honored Chinese civilization and practiced in China's magnificent diplomacy. It is in line with the sincere aspiration and lofty pursuit of peace, development, cooperation and progress of all countries.

The more the world moves towards multi-polarity, economic globalization, IT application and cultural diversity, the more people realize that the Belt and Road Initiative, as a practical platform for building a community with a shared future for mankind, is already exploring and accumulating practical experience in addressing failures, imbalances and disorder in current global governance.

Through dialogue, consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, win-win cooperation and mutual learning, the Belt and Road Initiative seeks to maximize the common denominator of cooperation and bring people along the routes closer together.

The Belt and Road Initiative has strengthened political mutual trust among countries and laid a stable foundation for building a community with a shared future for mankind. The Belt and Road Initiative is characterized by policy communication, strategic alignment and seeking common ground while shelving differences. The Eurasian Economic Union, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, the African Union's Agenda 2063, Kazakhstan's "Bright Road" new economic Policy, Turkey's "Middle Corridor" initiative, Mongolia's "Development Road", Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Ring", the UK's "Northern Powerhouse", Poland's "Amber Road"... Countries and regions have aligned their development strategies and coordinated their policies. The general direction of cooperation has been defined and synergy has been formed. Common interests are growing, the desire for cooperation is growing, and the consensus on building a community with a shared future for mankind is growing.

The Belt and Road Initiative has strengthened economic integration among countries and contributed to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. From the Great desert camel caravan that "countless bells pass far away from Moraine" to the transnational freight train that travels for thousands of miles a day, from the sea scenery of Yingri Fan Tuobao Ship to the vibrant modern port... Learning from the past and the present, connectivity has accelerated the economic development of countries through integration. Behind the Belt and Road Initiative is solid cooperation and thriving vitality. Relevant countries are increasingly forming a community of shared interests and responsibilities, and the road to building a community with a shared future for mankind is getting broader.

The Belt and Road Initiative has enhanced people-to-people exchanges between countries and infused cultural connotations into the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. As Valerie Hansen, a professor at Yale University, said, the Silk Road changed history in large part because the people who traveled along the Silk Road spread their cultures along the way, like the seeds of exotic spices they carried far away. Today, in the pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative, culture is spreading more frequently and dialogue among civilizations is deepening, creating a beautiful picture of people-to-people bond. The Belt and Road Initiative has built a bridge of civilizations and a bond of friendship, making the community of shared future for mankind more and more popular among the people.

People in countries along the Belt and Road have a growing sense of participation, gain and happiness. They expect and believe that this road of hard work and happiness will lead to a better future.

(5)Hundred rivers toward the sea, popular more than; Though the road is far, no one can reach it. The Belt and Road Initiative is China's plan to participate in global opening-up and cooperation, improve the global economic governance system, promote common development and prosperity in the world, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. This is a joint action made by China and many other countries.

The 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) declared that Africa, as a historical and natural extension of the Belt and Road Initiative, is an important participant. China and Africa agree to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the development strategies of African countries, strengthen policy communication, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people exchanges, and promote production capacity cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. The two sides will strengthen planning and cooperation on infrastructure and industrialization in Africa to inject new impetus into China-Africa win-win cooperation and common development. The Belt and Road Initiative is building a new bridge and opening up new horizons for cooperation between China and Africa. To date, China has signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with 37 African countries and the African Union.

Looking ahead, the Belt and Road Initiative is also gaining momentum among China, Arab States, China and Latin America, Central Europe, and China-Central and Eastern Europe. Embracing the Belt and Road Initiative to build a better future is becoming a major trend for more countries and regions to promote cooperation.

We should work together to enhance strategic mutual trust, realize the dream of rejuvenation, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and promote inclusiveness and mutual learning.

In January 2018, the second Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States issued a special statement on the Belt and Road Initiative. China believes that Latin American and Caribbean countries are a natural extension of the Maritime Silk Road and indispensable participants in the Belt and Road international cooperation, and invites Latin American and Caribbean countries to voluntarily join the Initiative. Celac countries believe that the Belt and Road Initiative can be an important way to deepen cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries in the fields of economy, trade, investment, culture and tourism.

Also in 2018, the EU and China issued a statement stating that the two sides will continue to promote synergy between China's Belt and Road Initiative and EU initiatives, including the Investment Plan for Europe and an expanded pan-European transport network, and promote "hard connectivity" and "soft connectivity" through compatible sea, land and air transport, energy and digital networks. China and CEE countries have jointly pointed out that all parties are willing to support the construction of the Belt and Road in its connection with the China-Eu Connectivity Platform, the Western Balkan extension of the Pan-European transport network and relevant neighborhood cooperation initiatives, which will benefit the European integration process.

Good start, solid start, 5 years of fruitful results. The road ahead is long and the scenery is good, but we need to make solid progress. Work hard in project construction, work hard in expanding the market, work hard in financial security, work hard in promoting education, science and technology, culture, sports, tourism, health, archaeology and other fields of communication, work hard in regulating enterprise investment and management behavior, work hard in improving overseas security risk prevention...... China has made deep and solid progress in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative step by step, delivering results bit by bit.

Riding the tide of The Times, the Belt and Road Initiative has benefited the people and the world. If China and other countries work together for mutual understanding and common development, we will surely create a bright future of a community with a shared future for mankind. (Guo Jiping)