Preface and Acknowledgements
For the best part of this passing several years, the Belt and Road Initiative has gained growing concern, namely the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road”. Dating back to 7thSep., 2013, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of the People's Republic of China, delivered a speech titled “Promote People-to-People Friendship and Create a Better Future” in Kazakhstan, during which he proposed to “jointly build a Silk Road Economic Belt”. On the following 3rd October, President Xi gave a speech to Indonesia's parliament titled “Building China-ASEAN Community of Common Destiny” and introduced the proposal“jointly build 21stCentury Maritime Silk Road” on it. Ever since then, scholars home and abroad started to explore how this initiative influences the world from their own countries' perspectives. As for our scholars, those from National Institute for Global Strategy (NIGS), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), focus more on joint study with scholars abroad to provide intellectual support for the Belt and Road Initiative.
Today nobody denies that the present global economy in general is in a downturn, with the major economies struggling in the limbo between revival and decline. Meanwhile economic globalization is facing growing obstruction such as fatigue drive of sustainable development, ceaseless regional conflicts, incessant regional hotspots, prevailing terrorism, and confrontation and alignment. Behind the challenges lies the international configuration and world order featured by emerging unequal and imbalanced development. Confronting these challenges is one mission shouldered by countries along the Belt and Road, and it will also be the way out for global issues. During the transitional period when international configuration and world order are restructuring and shifting intensely, the methods to advance sustainable development, further strengthen and improve global governance, and maintain world peace and stability urge deeper communication and cooperation.
China is now ready for the in-depth interaction with the world and in-depth opening-up. Sailing down the stream of history, the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative is one of the development strategies that Chinese government formulated for the 13thFive-Year Plan and the years ahead. The advancement of this construction is the requirement for China to integrate in the world more deeply. Furthermore, it is needed by countries around world that seek co-development, especially Asian, African, and European countries. Therefore, the joint study is another attempt and exploration for “building think tanks with international perspective and improving international cooperation and communication mechanism”. Jointly discussing the challenges faced by the development of the Belt and Road Initiative will help us broaden our perspectives and tackle these challenges. We hope that domestic and foreign think tanks can build better mutual understanding and support each other along the way of the Belt and Road construction, thus to pave the road for co-development.
Against such background, the National Institute of Global Strategy (NIGS) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences(CASS) and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) held the “International Symposium of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Global Perspective” in the fall of 2016 in Beijing. After the Symposium, attendees home and abroad did in-depth study on the subject discussed. This monograph is finished based on further study, which is also a phased outcome of joint study made by NIGS and major foreign think tanks.
Experts who are involved in the joint study generally believe that the Belt and Road Initiative is China's grand strategy on expanding and deepening opening up to the world, building new pattern of reform and opening-up, achieving globalization 2.0 and fulfilling win-win cooperation. The Initiative has grown remarkable fruit in areas from top-level design and policy communication to facility sharing, clearing trade channel, accommodation of funds, and common aspiration of people, thus forming co-consultation, co-construction and sharing among engaged countries. It has also broken new ground in terms of motivating the development of countries and regions along the route and exploited huge potential for mutual development. Conforming to the inherent law of international economic development and actively accommodating the new trend of global economic cooperation, this initiative has drawn broad international consensus and attention for promoting global economy and has been referred to as the “Chinese prescription” to treat global economy disease and the “Chinese plan” to solve current issues.
Indeed, while experts who participate in the study gave credit to the Belt and Road Initiative, they also agreed that above interconnection, co-consultation,co-construction and sharing, the most crucial and the most fundamental is the bonding of idea, where think tanks, a valuable treasure of a country, play an important role. At all times, rulers value the function of think tanks and see them as an important source for decision making. Ever since the 18thNational Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Committee lead by General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the development of think tanks and introduced major strategic measures to promote the position and function of think tanks in governance and diplomacy. On 12thNov., 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18thCentral Committee of the CPC passed“Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Some Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening the Reform” , in which “to enhance the construction of new types of think tanks with Chinese characteristics and promote a consultative policy system”was put forward. On 20thJan., 2015, Chinese government issued “Opinions on strengthening the construction of new think tank with Chinese characteristics”. On 9thNov. of the same year, during the 18thMeeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Reform “The National High-end Think Tanks Building Pilot Program” was approved and 25 national high-end think tank pilot units were appointed. Also the general requirements for high-end think tanks are put forward as following:maintain high-end position, highlight professional characteristics, and innovate theories and policies; strengthen the application and orientation of subjects and initiate targeted and proactive policy studies, and the directions and the focal points of the studies must be derived from the major strategies deployed during the Fifth Plenum of the 18thCentral Committee of the Communist Party of China”.
Being one of the units, NIGS under CASS is also one of the two think tanks that focus on global strategy, with its secretariat located at National Institute of International Strategy, CASS. As for the leadership team, professor Cai Fang is the chairman of board of directors of NIGS, CASS, who is also the vice president of CASS as well as Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Senior diplomatist Ambassador Fu Ying, also the Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC Standing Committee, possesses the title of chief expert of our think tank. Since its establishment, NIGS has focused on the study of the Belt and Road Initiative, global strategy, and China's peripheral security. Engaging in academic exchanges and communications with domestic and foreign think tanks, the members are dedicated to replenish the theoretical support and decision reference for the implementation and advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Last but not least, I am grateful to my Chinese and foreign associates for supporting this project. I would also like to acknowledge my work team, including those who did translation and proofreading. Also, I appreciate the hard work done by the editors in Social Science Academic Press. Without them, this monograph could not be published and benefit the readers in time.