The Belt and Road:AWay for Win-win Outcome and Sustainable Development.

By Liu Lingling,People's Daily Reporter

President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the BRICS Business Forum held in Johannesburg,South Africa,and pointed out that we will continue to vigorously promote the Belt and Road construction,open up new space for the economic and social development of all countries and implement the agenda 2030.Joint construction of the Belt and Road is the high frequent phrase used by President Xi Jinping on his trip to Asia and Africa.Since its introduction in 2013,the Belt and Road Initiative,based on the principle of extensive consultation,joint contribution and shared benefits,has gathered many participants,from an idea into action and from a vision into reality,has released the great potential of bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation,benefited more and more countries and peoples,and has pioneered a path of win-win cooperation and sustainable development for development of human society.

Strategic docking:helping to release more potential for economic cooperation.

From Beijing to Abu Dhabi,from Dakar to Johannesburg,President Xi Jinping's visit to Asia and Africa once again closely links the Middle East and Africa with China.The Belt and Road has become the best ties to deepen cooperation between China and the visited countries,and has built a broad platform for strengthening development strategy docking,bringing to play the economic complementarities and extending the new cooperation space.

Sheikh Mohammed,Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE,said that China is leading the world to restart the Silk Road,and the Belt and Road Initiative is widely supported by the international community.The UAE is happy to continue to take an active part in the Belt and Road cooperation.Rwanda President Kagame said Rwanda is a landlocked country,and the Belt and Road and its interconnection and interoperability have provided new opportunities for Rwanda.

South Africa is the first pilot country to build the Belt and Road to dock with Africa,and China-South Africa cooperation new measures in investment,scientific research and sunrise industries are full of expectations.Manny Dybio,President of South Africa-China Friendship Association,told the newspaper reporters that the Belt and Road has become a key word for the economic development of the African continent and African countries are looking forward to take a ride on the fast development express together with China.The Belt and Road allows more infrastructure interconnectivity, more capital interconnectivity and more common people interconnectivity among different countries.President Xi Jinping's visit to South Africa has strengthened the strategic docking between China and South Africa and injected strong impetus into South Africa's economic development,which is a great opportunity for South Africa and otherAfrican countries.

During the visit of President Xi Jinping,China signed a memorandum of understanding on building the Belt and Road with Senegal and Rwanda,and reached a consensus with Mauritius on signing the Belt and Road agreement as soon as possible,so China-Africa cooperation has a new platform.China's Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian said that Africa is an important link for the Belt and Road,and the Belt and Road construction will bring unprecedented new opportunities to the development of Sino-African cooperation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping(2nd L),Brazilian President Michel Temer(1st R),Russian President Vladimir Putin(2nd R),Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi(1st L)and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pose for a group photo during the Plenary Session of the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg,South Africa,July 26,2018.(Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

In an interview with Chinese media,President Sall of Senegal said he highly appreciated the Belt and Road Initiative because the Belt and Road crosses the oceans and the continents,connecting the peoples of the world.Nuhu,a Senegal expert on international issues and a diplomat,commended that the Belt and Road is a great initiative for China to share development opportunities with the world,Senegal has become the first West African country to sign the Belt and Road cooperation document with China,which will greatly contribute to the implementation of the Revitalization Plan of Senegal.

African News reports that China has been committed to building an open economy,and now it has formed a strong momentum of building the Belt and Road around the world.More and more countries have come to see in the process of sharing the Belt and Road dividend that the Initiative helps to release more economic cooperation potential and push the world economy forward in a more balanced,inclusive and sustainable development direction.

Making the dream true together:bringing happiness to more countries and peoples.

Let's benefit more countries and peoples by the achievements from building the Belt and Road,President Xi Jinping's statement is loud and clear.With more countries'active docking with the Belt and Road initiative,one after another wonderful event of jointly pursuing the dreams and working together has emerged,this century project of the Belt and Road will surely benefit more people.

The arrival of Chinese enterprises has changed my destiny, Mubuyee from Congo(DRC)told the newspaper reporters sincerely.Ten years ago,he came to South Africa from Congo(DRC)suffering from civil war,and he was once in despair because he couldn't find a job.In 2010,China FAW group set up a plant in Johannesburg,so he was employed.

At the plant,Mubuy received professional training from Chinese technicians and soon acquired the skills to check vehicles.After several years of development,FAW plant gradually becomes a star enterprise in South Africa with an annual output of more than 1,000 heavy-duty trucks,and Mubuy has also become a skilled staff worker.With the help of many Chinese colleagues and hard work by himself,he has now fulfilled his dream of living in peace,and his seven-member family has moved into a large house not far from the factory.All these are resulted from Chinese enterprises,he said that he would work harder for the future of himself and his family,and would learn Chinese.

South Africa's Independent Media CEO Paledis told the newspaper correspondents that the Belt and Road Initiative is of great significance for promoting infrastructure construction and interconnectivity. Many countries have actively integrated their own development strategy with the Belt and Road Initiative to achieve common development,which has changed not only the face of their countries but also promoted the change of individual’s destiny.

The Belt and Road Initiative has created more opportunities for our young people,Zayed,a 20-year old student from Senegal,told the newspaper reporters in fluent Chinese.Thanks to the increasing number of cultural exchange projects between Senegal and China in recent years,he is given the opportunity to study in a Chinese university.He said that more and more pragmatic cooperation between China and Senegal has created a new platform for individual development,and believed that with the Belt and Road as a link,the Senegal and Chinese people will get closer and closer and more and more amicable.

Economics Professor Basilu of Dakar University lambented to the newspaper reporters that the Belt and Road Initiative has been translated into real action and yielded bumper harvest in practical cooperation,and benefited the local people. From the 5-year construction and development process,more and more countries recognize the far-reaching importance of the Belt and Road Initiative and the upgrading happiness of peoples becomes evident to all.

Mutual benefit and win-win outcome:injecting new impetus for building a community with a shared future for mankind

The Belt and Road building is based on joint efforts and the principle of extensive consultation,joint contribution and shared benefits,and originates in China but belongs to the world,which is a part of President Xi Jinping’s speech and shows the belief that China has consistently built an open economy and shared the development dividends,and has gathered synergy to build the Belt and Road so as to inject new impetus for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Peter Francopan,a famous British historian and a scholar of University of Oxford,writes in his book the Silk Roads:a New History of the World that the Belt and Road Initiative is put forward for the common cause to benefit the world,and is a golden opportunity for in-depth cooperation.He also writes that President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative proposed in 2013 and the huge investment made by China for it fully show that China is thinking for the future.

Lazuma,director of the African Regional Centre of the BRICS New Development Bank,told the newspaper reporters that the Belt and Road construction has yielded fruitful results,and China has created valuable opportunities for the common development of emerging market economies and developing countries through this great Initiative.Africa is the continent mostly concentrated with developing countries in the world but more and more African countries'infrastructure is improved,and economic development has released new vitality through docking with the Belt and Road construction.

An article published by the Senegal mainstream newspaper the Sun is entitled Senegal and China are shoulder to shoulder,which says that the Belt and Road Initiative has a strong tolerance and openness,and has become an effective way for closer exchanges and mutual benefits between different countries.Senegal is very honored to be the first West African country to sign the Belt and Road cooperation document with China,and believes that more and more countries and regions will participate in construction of the Belt and Road in the future.

The Belt and Road Initiative is one of the platforms with the best prospects for international cooperation. Kader Diop, a professor at Journalism School of Dakar University,told the newspaper reporters that the Belt and Road construction has not only strengthened the interconnection between different regions and peoples, but also promoted the development of global free trade,which is of great significance to the economic development of developing countries and effectively promotes the realization of the goals of the Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the United Nations Agenda 2030 for sustainable development.

Just as President Kagame says that the Belt and Road Initiative has brought about development for the whole world,including Africa,having shaped a win-win situation.With the growing network of the Belt and Road partnership,various countries will achieve win-win cooperation and common development at a higher level with higher quality.The Chinese dream will increasingly reflect the dreams of various countries,and we could build a beautiful world with the interconnectivity of the Belt and Road.

Great progress in 5 areas for the Belt and Road construction

At the NNB news conference on August 27th,Ning Jizhe,deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission and director of the National Bureau of Statistics,introduced the progress for the Belt and Road Initiative in the last 5 years.As of June 2018,China's trade in goods with the countries along the routes had totaled over US$5 trillion,and the investments in the outbound economic and trade cooperation zones built by countries along the routes was totaled US$28.9 billion,and 244,000 jobs are created and US$2.1 billion in taxes paid for the local community.After 5 years of practice,great progress in 5 areas has been made in the construction of the Belt and Road.

Enhancing strategic mutual trust and consolidating international consensus.The core concept of the Belt and Road Initiative based on joint building and extensive consultation,joint contribution and shared benefits is written into the document of important international mechanisms such as the United Nations.A total of 103 countries and international organizations have signed 118 cooperation agreements with China.In 2017,the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was successfully held in Beijing.Among the 279 achievements of the Forum,265 items have been completed or turned into normal work so far,and the remaining 14 items are being monitored for implementation,with a 95%implementation rate.

Railway construction along the routes in Africa.

Paying close attention to cooperation projects and forming demonstration effect.Focusing on the main framework of six corridors,six roads,several ports,having made substantial progress in promoting a number of cooperation projects.The construction of China-Pakistan economic corridor is progressing smoothly.The construction of China-Lao Railway,China-Thailand Railway and Hungary-Cyprus Railway is progressing steadily and the Gwadar Port has full operational capacity. As of August 26,the number of China-Europe express train has exceeded 10,000,reaching 43 cities in 15 European countries,with goods shipment ratio of 3 to 2 for the round trips.

Promoting win-win cooperation and achieving common development.China has become the largest trading partner of 25 countries along the routes.Over the past five years,the total trade volume between China and the countries along the routes has exceeded US$5 trillion,with an average annual growth rate of 1.1%. Against the backdrop of World Trade decline and negative growth,a growth of 1.1%is achieved,Vice Minister of Commerce Qian Keming said that in the past five years,China's direct investments in countries along the routes exceed US$70 billion,with an average annual growth of 7.2%. Meanwhile,China continues to liberalize more sectors for foreign investment access,create a high standard business environment,and attract countries along the routes to invest in China.

Improving the service system and strengthening financial support.China and 17 countries have approved the Guiding Principle of Financing Development of the Belt and Road,accelerating the overseas layout of financial institutions,and 11 Chinese-funded banks have set up 71 first tier institutions.Joint financing cooperation with the African Development Bank, the Pan American Development Bank,the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other multilateral development banks is in place.

Upholding openness and inclusiveness and maintaining closer cultural exchanges.Ning Jizhe’s briefing is that China has actively carried out cooperation in education,science and technology,culture and other fields,and formulated and issued special cooperation plans in education,science and technology,finance,energy,agriculture,inspection and quarantine,standards and other fields.The implementation of the Silk Road scholarship program helps establish schools abroad,etc.,and train technical and management personnel for the countries along the routes.In 2017,about 300,000 overseas students from countries along the routes came to China for study while more than 60,000 Chinese students went to countries along the routes for study.It is estimated that by 2020 China with countries along the Belt and Road will build a new world.

Continuously heating up cooperation,and development results are plentiful

The Chinese nation always stresses all people under heaven belonging to one big family,advocates the harmony between man and nature,the harmony between nations, and longs for a just cause to be pursued for the common good in a beautiful world. Adhering to this belief and responsibility,China uses its own development to boost Africa's development for the ultimate achievement of mutual benefit and win-win outcome,and common development,which is the core in China-Africa relations.

At the Johannesburg Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in 2015,President Xi Jinping proposes to strengthen and consolidate the"five pillars"for the new orientation of China-Africa relations and to focus on implementing the"Ten Cooperation Programs"in the next three years to come,to give full support to Africa in breaking the three bottlenecks of development,i.e.outdated infrastructure,inadequate talents and shortage of funds,and to accelerate industrialization and agricultural modernization and to promote the realization of independent and sustainable development.In the year of conclusion of implementing the proposals of the Johannesburg Summit,more than 90%of the US$60 billion pledged by China as of March this year has been in place or arranged.Highways,railways,airports,ports,plants,industrial parks...,the speed of construction of these projects has made the world feel the heat of Sino-African cooperation.

Honored as Tanzania-Zambia Railway in the new era,the first modern electrified railway between Ethiopia and Djibouti is formally put into commercial operation in January this year,passenger numbers and freight volume are rising,and have become an accelerator of economic and social development along the line.

In the year 2017,the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway,about 480 kilometers long,is opened to traffic while the Nairobi-Malaba Railway starts construction so Kenya has ushered in a new chapter of railway modernization.Building a railway,once regarded as a daydream, becomes a reality, Kenya Transportation and Infrastructure Minister James Macharia said.The data shows that since the start of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway Project,nearly 50,000 jobs are created for Kenyans,more than 5,000 professional and technical workers are trained,and more than 400 local enterprises participate in subcontracting projects,and over 1000 local suppliers of goods,equipments and materials as well as services providers also take part in the cooperation.

In July this year,the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone,which is led by Chinese enterprises,opened to investment. Currently,more than 20 enterprises have signed a letter of intent to invest in the zone,related to trade,logistics, and processing industries, i.e.,automobile,machinery,building materials,marine processing,food processing and others in the future will also be welcome.From here on,we will build and strengthen our ties with China and the world as a whole,Djibouti's President Guelleh said enthusiastically.

Let the fruits of development benefit all countries and enable people to enjoy happiness,prosperity and good health.With the advent of Chinese enterprises,African people's lives are improved constantly.Because of their deep participation in investment,trade and engineering construction in Africa,Chinese enterprises have accumulated valuable experience in overseas cross-regional enterprise management,and further expanded.President of the Standard Bank of South Africa believes that more and more countries have recognized the far-reaching significance of construction of the Belt and Road in just the past few years,.

China and Africa unite for cooperation and collectively shape a bright future

In the past 18 years,the China-Africa Cooperation Forum has become a banner leading China-Africa cooperation and set up a model for South-South cooperation.

"No matter how the international situation changes,no matter how developed China becomes,China always stands with the vast number of developing countries in Africa and will always be a sincere friend and reliable partner of Africa."No matter how the international situation changes in the future,China will uphold the concept of sincerity,real results,affinity and good faith,and the concept of holding justice while pursuing shared benefits,and continue to support Africa in its development and revitalization".These show China's original inspiration of win-win cooperation and common development with Africa.

At present,the Chinese people are working hard to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation while the African people are also working hard to realize the African dream of unity for self-relied growth,development and revitalization.It has long been aspirations of African countries to link their own development strategy with the Belt and Road construction and further integrate into the high-tide of economic globalization.

The Kenya Government and Ethiopia Government signed the economic and trade cooperation agreements with the Chinese Government at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Infrastructure financing cooperation agreement,container port project loan agreement,memorandum of cooperation on the energy... documents show the determination of China and Africa to join hands in development.

In May of this year,Kenya becomes the sixth African country to join Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank,Senegal and Rwanda with China have signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Jointly Building the Belt and Road.The Belt and Road Initiative has brought great benefits to African countries.Lema Senbet,head of the African Economic Research Consortium,believes that the Africa-China partnership is based on mutual respect and pursuit of common dreams,African countries should positively turn their eyes to China in the process of economic diversification and regional integration.

Aconstruction site along the routes in Africa.

Many people,be they leaders or CEOs,professors or scholars,believe that the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has reached a new consensus on win-win cooperation and working together to build a Sino-African community of a shared future,strengthening the joint efforts for the Belt and Road construction,for the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,the African Agenda 2063 and docking the development strategies of African countries,so as to open up new space for Sino-African cooperation,and promote the common development of China and Africa at higher level with a higher quality.Solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa will create a brighter future for human society.