Zhao Lei, a professor at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee / CHINA DAILY

At the core of the Belt and Road Initiative is interconnectivity, which has multiple implications for all parties concerned. On the economic front, it stresses the importance of win-win cooperation and bringing tangible dividends to the international community. The projects on cross-region connectivity, trade exchanges and capacity cooperation are aimed at expanding demand and thus rebalancing the global economy.

This bodes well for Belt and Road countries in pursuit of advanced industrialization and modernization, as well as better infrastructure, against a backdrop of uncertain global growth.

Aimed at shared development of all countries involved, the initiative is also about providing public goods and optimizing global governance. China is more than willing to offer tangible, ideological and institutional public goods to the international community. It has not only helped other developing economies with infrastructure construction, but also endeavored to institutionalize its endorsement of extensive interconnectivity, which is poised to provide more inclusivity than the Western-led elite clubs.