Indonesian Sinologist on China's 'One Belt, One Road' initiative

What tangible opportunities and challenges will the "One Belt, One Road"initiative bring to China, its neighboring countries and the world?

Opportunities for China is to enhance its economic structural transformation, so the economic growth will be sustainable. China also will get access to resources needed for maintaining its growth. At the same time, China also may learn ideas and experiences of other countries for its own development.

For the neighboring countries, they get financial investment to develop their infrastructure, and at the same time get access to export their products and improve their technology, which is beneficial to improve the prosperity of the world.

For the world, it is to promote peace and mutual understanding between nations, as well as a sustainable growth in a globalized world like today.

Challenges facing China is its image of being one of world's great powers. If China fails in this initiative, it will harm the Chinese image in the world. China also may be seen as trying to dominate the world order by creating its own order. As the Chinese proverb says, "The higher the tree is, the stronger the wind is". China may create more unnecessary hostility from certain parties that feel threatened by the rising of China.

For the neighboring countries and the world, the more they are integrated with the Chinese economy, the more the world is relying on the Chinese economy. So when anything happens in the Chinese economy or politics it will impact the whole world. Many countries now worry about the slowing down in the Chinese economy, and as China has become the biggest trading partner for most countries in the world, the slowing Chinese economy has slowed the economy of many countries as well. OBOR will make the countries more reliant on the Chinese economy, and if a crisis happens in China, then the whole world will be severely affected.