[Daily Practice] Promote the high-quality development of the "the Belt and Road"
Openness is an important driving force for the progress of human civilization and a necessary path for world prosperity and development.
Against the backdrop of a new round of international economic and trade rule system reform and the reconstruction of the global economic and trade order, China actively explores the integration of international high standard economic and trade rules, continuously expanding institutional openness in rules, management, standards, and other areas. From the establishment of the first pilot free trade zone to the deployment of 21 pilot free trade zones and Hainan Free Trade Port nationwide, from significantly reducing the negative list of foreign investment access, formulating and implementing foreign investment laws, to promoting the signing of more high standard free trade agreements and regional trade agreements... Openness has become a distinctive symbol of contemporary China.
Jointly building the "the Belt and Road" is a major measure of China's high-level opening up under the new historical conditions. The institutional environment and strategic docking formed by the high-level opening up undoubtedly provide a solid foundation for the high-quality development of the "the Belt and Road" with "soft connectivity". At present, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with 152 countries and 32 international organizations to jointly build the "the Belt and Road", covering 83% of China's countries with diplomatic ties; The completion and operation of a series of iconic projects such as the China Europe freight train, the Western Land Sea New Corridor, the Hungary Serbia Railway, and the Piraeus Port have further promoted regional economic development and enhanced the well-being of people in various countries. As of the first half of this year, the China Europe freight train has accumulated over 73000 trains and sent 6.9 million TEUs of goods; The rail sea intermodal freight trains of the Western Land Sea New Corridor have covered 18 provinces in central and western China. Driven by the radiation of these projects, in the first seven months of this year, the import and export of China and the countries that jointly built the "the Belt and Road" increased by 7.4%, the number of China EU regular trains and the volume of goods delivered increased by 13% and 27% respectively, and the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" continued to advance.
Currently, changes in the world, times, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. Facing the future, we will continue to improve the level of opening up, deepen the docking of the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" with national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, expand small multilateral and subregional cooperation, create more cooperation growth points, build the "the Belt and Road" into a "development belt" benefiting the world and a "happy road" benefiting mankind, and inject more impetus into the world economic recovery and growth.
Special expert for this issue: Su Erdou, School of Economics, Capital University of Economics and Trade
