Silk Roads

Silk Roads

President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation which was titled “Work Together to Build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road”. The speech was centered on the new passage that the president had proposed that he thinks will enhance development in China. The traditional Silk road has facilitated ease of movement and business, according to the president. The passage had also created easy access to Africa, Europe, and Asia as well as enhanced human civilization by facilitating openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit. The president narrated how silk road travelers facilitated East-West cooperation and enhanced peace and how the civilization enabled openness. The Silk Road has also facilitated exchanges, a major cause of prosperity.

Other than trade, the silk road opened avenues for learning from each other.  President Xi Jinping appreciates that every community is unique and can be a source of new knowledge. China does not only consume knowledge from people but expects other communities to consume knowledge from China mutually. The Silk roads allow people to freely flow in and out of countries, making it easy to share knowledge and trade. According to President Xi Jinping, international geographical distance should not hinder international relations. President Xi Jinping recognizes the interdependency between countries worldwide and approves of it as an excellent move to mobilize facilities, energies, and resources to enhance and raise the standards of living. The Silk Roads had also allowed for interdependence with countries connected to china.

However, the traditional silk roads are not enough in the modern world. The world is growing fast, and therefore there is a need to transform the silk roads into modern passages. President Xi Jinping, therefore, proposed the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. He claimed that the new initiative was not a new project but a project to better the existing traditional Silk Roads. The development of new passages has seen china make better transport policies. The initiative has also led to new infrastructures to connect people, such as railways and roads, and has also accelerated the construction rates. The initiative has also facilitated trade connections between China and other countries worldwide. Through the initiative, China has improved its financial connection where it can borrow finances. The initiative has also strengthened the unions between the people of China and the union between the people of China and people in other countries. For example, through the yearly scholarships that China gives students worldwide.

President Xi Jinping emphasizes peace as the major principle that should be considered as the project continues. He recalls that the traditional silk road facilitated peace but lost it during the war. He is determined to restore the peace that was there. He also emphasizes creating passages with economic stability and success in mind and trade cooperation. Finally, the president insists on building deeper networks between China and her neighbors to facilitate trade and the exchange of information. According to him, the initiative with cause a rounded development for China and its people.

References

Jinping, X. (2017, May 14). President Xi’s speech at opening of Belt and road forum, May 14, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2022, from https://china.usc.edu/president-xis-speech-opening-belt-and-road-forum-may-14-2017