Both the Silk Road economic belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road are based on economic cooperation, supported by cultural communication and guided by the philosophy of openness and inclusiveness. During the construction of the "one belt and one road", China will maintain the principle of noninterference in other nations' internal affairs, and will refrain from seeking dominance over regional affairs and spheres of influence.

The "one belt and one road" is not an entity or a mechanism, but a proposition on cooperation and development which will take full advantage of existing bilateral and multilateral mechanisms between China and other participating countries, as well as the existing effective regional cooperation platforms. The construction of the "one belt and one road" will not overlap or compete with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union, the China Asean Free Trade Area and other existing cooperation mechanisms, but inject new content and vitality to those mechanisms. The "one belt and one road" will not start from scratch - it represents an upgrading of existing cooperation.

At the same time, countries and regions involved in the "one belt and one road" are open-ended: all those along the ancient Silk Road and maritime Silk Road can join in, as well as China's friendly neighboring countries. Central Asia, Russia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia will be priorities, the Middle East and East Africa will be an intersection on the "one belt and one road", and in the long run, countries from Europe, the CIS, and Africa can become part of the network too. During the construction of the "one belt and one road", other countries and organisations will participate in relevant projects.

Historically, the Silk Road was used mainly for the exchange of needed goods. Today, the scope of cooperation will be much wider: even at this early stage it includes the interconnection and interworking of infrastructure, trade and investment facilitation, and industrial cooperation, as well as cultural and educational exchanges.
　　
During the joint construction of the "one belt and one road", China will adhere to such principles as integrity and profit, and give as much support to our neighboring countries as we can. China will increase its investment in neighboring countries, actively promote interconnection and interworking with them, and seek to build up a regional investment and financing platform for infrastructure construction in the area.　　

The "one belt and one road" is not just a path forward for China, but a common cause for all Silk Road countries. China will not enjoy the benefits alone, but share them with other countries. The construction of the "one belt and one road", including its preliminary research, is open to all. China welcomes constructive suggestions from other countries to enrich the concept and planning of the "one belt and one road". Let us write this new chapter of the Silk Road together, and create a better future for all.

The article is edited and translated from《开放包容，携手发展谋共赢》, source: People's Daily, author: Zhong Sheng.

Link: Silk Road spirit running through ancient and modern (1)