Over two millennia ago, our ancestors endured great hardship in blazing a new trail, the Silk Road on land,across grasslands and desserts to connect Asia, Europe, and Africa; they then expanded this exploit to the mighty seas in connecting the East and the West via the Maritime Silk Road.Both Silk Roads opened up opportunities for nations to engage in friendly exchanges and were thus the start of a new chapter in the development of human civilization.
The Silk Roads’ sounds of camel bells and oars are now being symphonically echoed in our times with the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Kazakhstan and Indonesia to propose the creative ideas of a “Silk Road Economic Belt” and a “21 st -Century Maritime Silk Road.” In the few years since then, the proposal has transformed into a consensus, the concept has evolved into action, and the vision has turned into reality. The achievements so far attained in the process of establishing the Belt and Road Initiative as a peaceful, prosperous, open, innovative, and civilized means of connection have been striking.
The initiative has been written into the CPC Party Constitution, evidencing the intent of global unity held by the CPC and the people of China. It has also been written into resolutions made by the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, showing it is a public commodity welcomed by the international community. In line with today’s trends of peace, development, cooperation, and wins for all involved,the initiative holds its mission as building a new international relationship structure and the community of shared future for mankind, supplemented with the dream of bringing prosperity to all involved nations. It is basically the rebirth of the old Silk Road in a new era. The initiative seeks to reawaken the millennia-old Silk Road, rediscover memories of the past of Belt and Road nations, and activate their contemporary identity. Academically, it is an organic component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which transcends the traditional Western concept of the meticulous, never-ending subdivision of disciplines;rather, it is an interdisciplinary science that includes aspects ancient and contemporary, Chinese and foreign, and Eastern and Western, complemented by both theory and practice.Practically speaking, it is a road of peace, prosperity, openness,innovation, and civilization aimed at resolving the deficiencies in peace, development, and proper governance faced by today’s world, hence strongly relevant to pragmatic concerns and the future.