'Belt and Road' initiatives to benefit Asia, beyond

BEIJING -- The China-proposed "Belt and Road" initiatives reflect the common aspiration of countries along the routes and the implementation of the blueprint will bring huge benefits for Asia and the rest of the world.

This modern version of the world-renowned ancient trade routes spans Asia, Africa and Europe, and each country along the routes has its own economic strength it wishes to share and also shortcomings that could only be addressed with the help from outside.

With an eye to economic diversity in the region, the "Belt and Road" initiatives seek to promote win-win cooperation among participating nations by breaking the infrastructure bottlenecks, by boosting efficient allocation of resources and by further integration of markets.

Aside from explaining how the development plan will bring about benefits for countries involved, a recently-released blueprint for the "Belt and Road" initiatives also outlines the principles, cooperation priorities and the mechanisms to facilitate progress.

The rich content of the roadmap-style document testifies to China's sincerity in promoting common development in neighboring countries and also for partners on a different continent.

The "Belt and Road" initiatives are like an invitation by China for countries to ride its express train of economic development.

As the initiator of the plan, China will continue to provide the core driving force for the "Belt and Road" programs: in the coming five years, China will import goods worth more than $10 trillion, Chinese investment abroad will exceed $500 billion, and more than 500 million outbound visits will be made by Chinese tourists.

Estimates made by some media reports indicated that the China-led initiatives are expected to bring about "unprecedented prosperity" for over 60 percent of the world population.

The seemingly jaw-dropping prediction may prove to be no exaggeration given that Asia alone accounts for some 60 percent of the world population and in some of China's neighboring countries as well as in some Africa countries, people's living standards have been greatly improved thanks to projects set up and run by China.

The programs of development, as Chinese President Xi Jinping put it,will be a real chorus comprising all countries along the routes, not a solo for China itself.

Presently, more than 60 countries in relevant regions have shown their interests in joining the "Belt and Road" initiatives. And we have every reason to believe that the development plan will create a better future for Asia and the whole world at large.