Ten years of wind and rain, ten years of spring and autumn fruits. President Xi Jinping pointed out: "The joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative originates from China, and the achievements and opportunities belong to the world." This edition will launch a series of comments starting today. Together with readers, we will review the achievements and experiences made in the past 10 years and draw on the wisdom and strength to promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

——Editor

The joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has become a popular international public product and international cooperation platform, opening up a new path for mankind to achieve modernization together

In the golden autumn, the sky is clear and the wind is smooth. The third "Belt and Road" International Cooperation Summit Forum was successfully held, consolidating international consensus, enriching cooperation results, and expanding bright prospects.

In the autumn of 2013, during his visit to Kazakhstan and Indonesia, President Xi Jinping successively put forward major initiatives to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Over the past 10 years, President Xi Jinping has been far-sighted and planned to promote the "Belt and Road" initiative to go deeper and more practical in consultation, joint construction and sharing, and to open up a path of development and prosperity that benefits the world in high-quality development, and to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind to continue to move forward. During the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum, President Xi Jinping pointed out profoundly: "We have carried out thousands of practical cooperation projects, and have achieved real and heavy results, and jointly painted a magnificent picture of connecting the world and sharing beauty."

Stick to the original aspiration and walk hand in hand; spring brings its beauty, autumn harvest is actually the case. Over the past 10 years, the "Belt and Road" international cooperation has flourished from nothing to something, and has achieved fruitful results. Together with partners from all parties, China promotes the Silk Road spirit of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit and win-win results, jointly contribute to global connectivity, inject new impetus into world economic growth, open up new space for global development, and create a new platform for international economic cooperation. From China's initiative to international practice, from concepts to action, from vision to reality, with the joint efforts of all parties, jointly building the "Belt and Road" has become a popular international public product and international cooperation platform, opening up a new path for mankind to achieve modernization together.

Observing from the perspective of time and space, the pace of cooperation in jointly building the "Belt and Road" has been continuously advancing, and the circle of friends has been continuously expanding. From the western Pacific coast to the Eastern European plain, from the coast of the Red Sea to southern Africa, from Southeast Asia to Latin America... Over the past 10 years, China has signed more than 230 cooperation documents on jointly building the "Belt and Road" with more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations on five continents. At the same time, the 3 "Belt and Road" International Cooperation Summit Forum was successfully held, and more than 20 professional multilateral cooperation platforms were established. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank developed from the initial 57 founding members to 109 members... The magnificent "Silk Road Picture Scroll" shows the vivid practice of people of all countries working together to create a happy and beautiful life, and writes the most exciting cooperation story of this era.

From the "freehand painting" of planning and layout to the "fine brushwork painting" of meticulous cultivation, 10 years of courage and determination, the seed of the dream of "Belt and Road" has gradually grown into a towering tree with lush branches and leaves. When the planning map is transformed into a real-life map, a large number of landmark projects and "small but beautiful" projects that benefit people's livelihood have taken root. In Croatia, the Pereschac Bridge, which spans the Little Stone Bay of the Adriatic Sea, shortened the original 3-hour drive to a few minutes, and was hailed by local media as "a grand building that the people have been looking forward to for 300 years." On the afternoon of October 17, President Xi Jinping, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who came to China to attend the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum at the Great Hall of the People, jointly unveiled the official opening and operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Djibouti... Whether it is to dig wells to meet the drinking water needs of villagers, or install street lights to illuminate the way for pedestrians to return home at night, people's livelihood projects and people's hearts projects have solved the urgent needs and improved living conditions.

Policy communication, facilities connectivity, trade smoothly, financially connected, and people-to-people connectivity. China works together to build a country and is committed to promoting global connectivity. Over the past 10 years, the "Belt and Road" cooperation has expanded from "hard connectivity" of infrastructure to "soft connectivity" of rules and standards, greatly promoting the "heart connectivity" of people in the joint construction of the country. For example, the China-Europe freight train has spread more than 80 operating lines, reaching 217 cities in 25 European countries. For example, as of the end of August this year, more than 80 countries and international organizations participated in the "Belt and Road" Trade Smooth Cooperation Initiative" initiated by China. Today, the initiative to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative and its core concepts are written into relevant documents such as the United Nations, the G20, the APEC and other international and regional organizations. Consultation, joint construction and sharing, openness, greenness and integrity, and high standards to benefit people's livelihood and sustainability have become an important guiding principle for high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road".

The trickle of water converges into the vast ocean; the little starlight lights up the Milky Way. The way is simple, and practical work is the key. Today, the first decade of jointly building the "Belt and Road" has passed, and it is in its prime. Carry forward the past and open up the future, work hard, work together to move forward to the next golden decade, and welcome new developments with higher quality and higher levels of jointly building the "Belt and Road". We will surely create a better future for mankind through joint efforts.

"People's Daily" (Page 05, October 26, 2023)