Chinese and Djiboutian administrative staffs exchange views on a new dock built by China Merchants Group Limited (CGM) in the port in western suburb ofDjibouti. The multi-functional Doraleh dock has greatly improved the competence of the port. (Photo by Li Zhiwei from People’s Daily)

The Silk Road spirit followed by the Belt and Road initiative offers pioneering ideas for contemporary international cooperation, the delegates told the People’s Daily upon the arrival of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, agreeing that the proposal will bring benefits to all.

Along the ancient Silk Road in history, people from different countries, nations, religions, beliefs, and culture backgrounds managed to share peace and development, while today’s Belt and Road initiative also eyes for common interests of en-route nations, hailedRobert Lawrence Kuhn, a US investment banker.

Kuhn, who is now in Beijing for the forum, also told in a discussion on the initiative one year ago when the US presidential campaign was underway that the public will, a century later, find out thattoday’s discussion on Belt and Road far outweighs the importance of any election rounds.

The ancient Silk Road represents an extraordinary accomplishment in terms of its cultural significance, praised Helga ZeppLaRouche, chair of the Germany-based Schiller Institute, explaining that it needs unparalleled courage and efforts to build it.

She added that the silk and porcelain as well as the techniques to make them were exported to other parts of the world along the ancient Silk Road, while in today’s world, all the countries involved in the initiative have been provided with a chance to access to the most advanced technologies and updated knowledge.

The initiative has broughtthe world fresh development outlook and vitality in just three-plus years after it was put forward, LaRouche stressed.

What the Belt and Road initiative carries forward is a spirit that the whole mankind could join efforts to realize their goals and brace for bright future, said Muhammad ZamirAssadi, reporter with Independent News Pakistan.

History has proven that the Silk Road, which honors the spirit of “peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness”, has benefited all of the contributors. The en-route countries and their public are now duplicating the history.

It is not easy for an international cooperation program to ensure an all-reaching equality, openness and respect, but the “Belt and Road” development has up to now done a good job in this regard, Paul J. Kohlenberg, research fellow at German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told the People’s Daily.

The all-shared benefits can be attributed to the tribute to the spirit of “peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness” paid by China as the initiator.

China has reiterated that it will never bully smaller nations nomatter how developed it will be, Kuhn agreed, adding that the Belt and Road initiative was based on the principle of united cooperation, shared development, equal-footed benefits and win-win outcomes.

The Turkish public are optimistic over the Belt and Road, said SelçukÇolakoğlu, director of Center for Asia-Pacific Studies under International Strategic Research Organisation (USAK) of Turkey.

Hailing China’s decision to make cooperation as the keynote of its diplomacy, Çolakoğlu said that if all countries could unite together for cooperation, their citizens would enjoy prosperous economy, stable politics and colorful culture through international and regional systems.

Some key words in the roadmap of the initiative, including “road”, “belt”, “corridor” and “bridge”, means that what the proposal pursues is equality, inclusiveness and connectivity rather than a centered or dominant position, stressed Zhao Lei, professor at Institute for International Strategic Studies affiliated to the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC.