Belt and Road Initiative hailed as ‘true game changer’

Shaukat Aziz (Photo by Shaukat Aziz – Shaukat Aziz, Copyrighted free use)

BEIJING, China — Former heads of state and think-tank leaders lauded the Communist Party of China (CPC) for inscribing Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) n its constitution, calling it a ‘true game changer’ of the world.

“It is a historic, substantive, a true game changer of the world. It will provide new connectivity, open markets, increase trades, create jobs and prosperity for the people of the world,” former Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said in a recent international think-tank symposium held in Beijing.

BRI was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping four years ago, drawing support from more than 60 countries, including the Philippines, and international organizations.

In May this year, China hosted the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation attended by 29 government leaders and heads of states, including Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

BRI is seen to boost the Philippines’ massive “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program where the Duterte administration plans to inject some Php9 trillion over the next five years to ramp up infrastructure development to sustain economic growth.

BRI was designed not only to boost infrastructure connectivity and economic activity, but to promote people-to-people exchanges.

Aziz said Belt and Road has helped improve the lives of the people of Pakistan, where he served as prime minister from 2004 to 2007.

“If we will remain in the committed to the philosophy behind Belt and Road Initiative, we will see the countries will realize their true potential in a more equitable way,” he said.

Meanwhile, former France Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin believes that Belt and Road can play a significant role as cornerstone of global integration.

“It means creating more confidence by addressing major concerns like reciprocity and mutual access. It is also means opening projects to all stakeholders who are willing to contribute to global development,” he said.

De Villepin lauded the CPC congress for supporting Xi’s vision of a modernized Chinese society in the next three decades.

He commended China for being at the forefront of economic globalization amid threat of isolation by the United States, world’s biggest economy, and Brexit (Britain exit) from European Union.

“I do believe that Belt and Road project is a chance for the development and collective stability,” De Villepin said.

For his part, former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda praised Xi for assuring in his report to the CPC Congress that China will never seek hegemony against other countries.

“I fully agree with that and I think that is an inevitable guideline to construct a new beautiful China,” Fukuda said.

During the symposium, Mumbai-based Observer Research Foundation chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni pushed for the creation of South Asia-China Economic Corridor under the Belt and Road to include India.

He said Indian government should not delay its decision to join BRI, which he said, has huge potential to provide new impetus to trans-continental connectivity.

“Now that Xi Jinping’s cherished initiative has been incorporated into the CPC constitution, China will surely push it with greater determination, and pour more billions into it, than before,” Kulkarni said.

World Food Prize Foundation chairman Kenneth Quinn said BRI is key to eliminate poverty where China made huge success after lifting over 700 million people out of poverty for the last three decades.

“Belt and Road is key to eliminate poverty because there is a famous Chinese saying that if one country wants to be rich, build road first and China has achieved this tremendously,” said Quinn, who was former US envoy to Cambodia.

Kenya-based Africa Policy Institute chief executive Peter Kagwanja thanked China for helping other countries achieve their dreams through BRI.

“Africa has benefited a lot from China’s remarkable achievements for the last five years,” Kagwanja said, referring to the high speed railway built by China that reduced 12-hour trip to just two and a half hours in Kenya.

In his speech, CPC Political Bureau member Huang Kunming has assured the more than 500 delegates that China, presently the world’s second largest economy, will make Belt and Road a solid platform to bolster economic globalization.

“We are going to work with countries around the world to make a world harmonious and safe,” Huang, also minister of CPC publicity department, said. (PNA)