A new growth point for world economy

In Europe, the Belt and Road Initiative does not get the attention it deserves. However, the history of the ancient Silk Road has fed our imagination for centuries. Today, China speaks for reality while Europe is limiting itself to curiosity. But newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron can accelerate Europe's interest in the initiative.

President Xi Jinping surprised the rest of the world when he announced the Belt and Road Initiative. As often happens in China, the idea is the result of a deep strategic reflection.

China is seeking big markets for its industrial products. Marginal gains of globalization are shrinking, and growth needs a new revival. In Asia, this new revival is called connectivity. By helping the economies along the Belt and Road routes to develop and improve their infrastructure, hard and soft, China is reinforcing its openness and the upgrading of its manufacturing sector.