The initiative to jointly build the "Belt and Road" meets the needs of the reform of the global governance system and has a distinct era. Over the past 10 years, the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative has contributed to the improvement of global governance and has become an important practical platform for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Under the wave of globalization, people, goods and capital are circulating rapidly like never before, and a global governance system is needed to be adapted to it. In 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed the initiative to jointly build the "Belt and Road" to meet the needs of the reform of the global governance system and have a distinct era. Over the past 10 years, the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative has contributed to improving global governance and has become an important practical platform for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In order to make Japanese society realize the importance of jointly building the "Belt and Road", I initiated the establishment of the "Belt and Road" Japanese Research Center in Tokyo with several Japanese scholars in November 2017. Over the years, the research center has conducted in-depth research on the "Belt and Road" cooperation projects carried out by China and countries jointly built by Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and other regions.

Over the past 10 years, China and China have strengthened policy communication, facilities connectivity, smooth trade, financial and people-to-people communication, and jointly built the "Belt and Road" with high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and promoted global connectivity and achieved fruitful results. During the COVID-19 pandemic, global logistics was severely hindered, and the China-Europe Express became the "life channel" for international anti-epidemic cooperation, vividly interpreting the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind. In addition, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and other institutions initiated by China provide timely and effective funds for the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" country, etc., which plays an important role in promoting the implementation of projects.

Guided by the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", China has continuously strengthened pragmatic cooperation with Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia and Iran. China has always adhered to mutual respect and equal treatment, and respected the social system and development path chosen by all countries independently. All countries have seen China's sincerity and responsibility in handling international affairs. With China's successful mediation, Saudi Arabia and Iran resumed diplomatic relations. This fully demonstrates China's wisdom and strength as a responsible major country to promote security, stability, development and prosperity in the Middle East.

The "Belt and Road" has shown its scale and is promising in the future. The joint construction of the "Belt and Road" provides opportunities for promoting unity and cooperation among Asian countries. The world today is in a major change unseen in a century, with challenges and opportunities. We hope that Japan will seize the opportunity, deepen close cooperation between Japan and China in third-party markets, and better promote economic and trade exchanges between the two countries.

(The author is an honorary professor at Tsukuba University in Japan and director of the "Belt and Road" Japan Research Center)

"People's Daily" (Page 03, October 4, 2023)