Sohail Mahmood

In two separate landmark speeches in September and October 2013, in Kazakhstan and Indonesia, respectively, Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Together, these far-reaching projects became known as the visionary Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which witnesses enormous expansion in its scope and geographical sweep within a short span of time. In 2023, China and over 150 partner countries are marking the 10th anniversary of the BRI — certainly an occasion to celebrate the achievements thus far and envision an equally ambitious trajectory for the future.

In his speech delivered in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, President Xi recalled the role of the ancient Silk Road in connecting China and Central Asia and linking the East and West, Asia and Europe. Stressing that the historic Silk Road was witnessing "new vitality" with the rapid development of China's relations with Asian and European countries, he proposed five key steps to scale up regional cooperation within the framework of the proposed Silk Road Economic Belt: strengthening policy communication, improving road connectivity, promoting trade facilitation, enhancing monetary circulation, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.

In his speech delivered in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, President Xi underscored the historic links between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and highlighted the phenomenal progress that China-ASEAN strategic partnership had made in multiple domains within a single decade. Noting that this relationship was at a "new historical starting point," President Xi proposed building a China-ASEAN community of shared future. He specifically called for a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road connecting East Asia and Europe through physical infrastructure.