Preface

More than 2,000 years ago, on the Eurasian continent, an industri-ous and brave people discovered a number of roads, which connected Asia, Europe, and Africa, and facilitated commercial and cultural ex-changes amongst them. Later, the roads were collectively named the Silk Road. The ancient Silk Road covered the watershed basins of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, Indus and Ganges, Yellow River and the Yangtze River; the cradles of civilizations: Egypt, Babylon, India and China; reli-gious settlements: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam; and ethnic groups of different countries and colors. In recent years, as China enhanced its relationships with other Asian, European, and African countries, the ancient Silk Road has displayed more vitality, and it has constantly up-graded the successful cooperation between China and Eurasian countries in a new way. On the international stage, China now strives to build a community with a shared future for mankind through the Belt and Road Initiative.

Historically, the progress of the world often arose from various conflicts that were intertwined and related. In order to promote the construction of the Belt and Road based on the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, we must deeply an-alyze the evolution of rules for the international environment in a tran-sitional stage. We must not only understand the overall trend of ongoing economic globalization, but emphasize the direction of profound chang-es in global economic structure. We must ride on the overall stability of the international environment and acknowledge the challenges facing and complexity of international security. We must follow the tendency of cultural communications and accept the reality of cultural clash.

Joint contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative is in the funda-mental interests of the international community. This highlights the common ideal and pursuit of humankind, displays a new model in inter-national cooperation and global governance, and contributes more “posi-tive energy” towards international peace and development.

From the perspectives of global economy and geopolitics, this book scrutinizes the ins and outs and theoretical basis of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as how the world responds to it, so that we can better analyze the international situation and understand its nature in entirety.

Currently, China is enjoying the best opportunity for development in modern times, and the world is also undergoing its greatest changes since the 20thcentury. China is synchronizing and interacting with the world. To maintain world peace and promote common development is a vision shared by and action guideline for Chinese people. We hope that all of us are able to work together to boost the Belt and Road Initiative, build a community with a shared future for mankind, and create a better future.