Since China's "One Belt and One Road" strategy, which refers to the Silk Road economic belt and the 21st century maritime Silk Road, was initiated at the end of 2013, significant progress has been made and increasing support has been garnered from the international community. At the same time, however, new problems have arisen with the promotion of cross-border cooperation.

Sri Lanka's newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena announced the review of a number of mega-projects, including a construction project in Colombo harbor. Later, Greece's new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' call after appointing his fresh cabinet is to halt its privatization, including the port sale to China in Piraeus.

When things like this happen, negative views concerning the "One Belt and One Road" initiative have appeared. Some have even started to discourage it.

China is experiencing an important phase of rapid rise, and the economy and society have come into a transition period. At the diplomatic level, China is exploring a path of major power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in pursuit of peace, development, cooperation and win-win results.

In this respect, the "One Belt and One Road" initiative is a specific strategy as well as a significant channel to realize its goals. Meanwhile, it could also promote the transformation of our strategy of foreign policy.

"One Belt and One Road" is a strategy that is gradually programmed and implemented in a complicated and constantly changing international background. It is an unprecedented major exploration as well as an attempt at a new type of international relations.

If there is one thing for certain about this exploration, it is that it has too many uncertainties and the process won't be perfect.

But without these imperfect, and sometimes even painful process, it is hard for us to find the new path for the major power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, or for our diplomatic innovation.

There are always twists and turns when carrying out great undertakings. Ups and downs will appear in the promotion of the "One Belt and One Road" initiative. But what is important is not those obstacles, but our attitude to them.

There will be more practical difficulties in pushing forward cooperation including the wide variations in politics, economy, society and culture among countries along the route and some conflicts and contradictions between certain states, which are hard to tackle in the short run. Besides, several nations are facing profound political adjustments, and economic and social transitions. Moreover, interventions from other major powers are also making the process arduous.

In addition, the initiative is a common course for all the countries along the "road" and "belt." Therefore, it is improper to attribute the obstacles involved in the project to China's failings.

The project requires diverse cooperation with an open mind among countries along the route. And China is not going to force it forward alone, but will help it enter a new virtuous cycle to make the cooperation smoother, while respecting the international environment, realistic conditions and objective principles of development.

The initiative needs steely determination and great political wisdom to overcome difficulties in practice. It will take a long time to see the results. Thus, we cannot rashly define success or failure in the short term.

Actually, the difficulties we are facing now are not the real challenges. The shift in the values and ideas over the "One Belt and One Road" from the international community and their reactions following the changes are the real challenges for us in the future.

We should first pursue patience and peace of mind. Because only with a stable state of mind can we build up to a steady pace of development.

So, what the "One Belt and One Road" needs is neither discouragement nor songs of praise. It needs a determined mind and dependable attitude of learning and adjusting.

The author is a professor at the Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies. [email protected]