A new chapter in economic globalization

The Belt and Road Initiative was conceived and organized in order to link the world in an unprecedented way. For centuries the ancient Silk Road connected Eurasian countries, bringing prosperity to ports, giving birth to towns and cities, and injecting vitality into nations along the way.

When first proposed in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative was more a project of a new land infrastructure conceived in order to revive traditional trade via the ancient Silk Road. But soon it proved to be not only a link between China and Europe but also a new network to connect the Central Asian countries and those beyond.

In less than six years, the concept has been incubated into a new multipurpose initiative that involves, as the latest data shows, 125 countries and 29 international organizations that have signed cooperation agreements within the BRI framework. Cooperation has gone way beyond trade, covering a broad spectrum of sectors including finance, tourism, telecommunications, as well as some key issues such as culture, fighting poverty, maintaining sustainable growth and bridging the digital gap.