aspirations for the future Belt and Road Initiative

context: The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in October 2023, when heads of state will gather in Beijing to discuss the future development of BRI (Belt and Road Initiative). Some PRC experts expect BRI markets to further expand, due to their GDP growth, demographic dividends and rapid industrialisation. Now 151 countries strong, BRI markets will be increasingly relevant for Beijing to counterweigh rising geopolitical tension with the West. 

In a forum hosted by zhonghongwang.com, Chen Wenling 陈文玲 CCIEE (China Centre for International Economic Exchanges) chief economist shares her aspirations for the future role of BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) as

  • a new form of human civilisation guided by a 'community with a shared future for mankind'
    • PRC modernisation demonstrates that there can be different paths to development
  • a new platform for global economic cooperation
    • more international organisations should be encouraged to join BRI
    • BRI should become a global public good like the United Nations Millennium Development Goals
  • a new pattern of international interconnection
    • promoting the flow of goods, information, capital, data and people to revive the global economy
    • resisting attempts by certain countries to
      • dismantle economic globalisation
      • exclude certain countries that play crucial roles in economic globalisation
  • a vision of high-quality development with a focus on green development
    • the PRC is a key contributor and stakeholder in green development
    • the PRC's five-year plans have mandatory targets for energy conservation, emissions reduction and pollution control
      • significant progress has been made in these areas
    • green development is a key focus for the future cooperation of the BRI and will inject new momentum into the Initiative
  • a new foundation for global development and poverty reduction
    • President Xi Jinping has presented the Global Development Initiative to the world
  • a more equitable and diversified global governance system
    • BRI is a milestone in global multipolar development