In many ways, the Chinese government and people coming from multiple sectors have all played an active part in promoting these progresses. However, these achievements wouldn’t have been possible without the support and participation of the governments and people of our partners. When President Xi Jinping worked here in Fujian Province in 1988, he proposed a campaign called “chorus on economic development”, borrowing wisdom from the Chinese proverb that says, “when many people help add the firewood, the flame would rise high”. Great things can happen when friends and partners combine efforts towards the same goal. The Belt and Road initiative is proposed by China, but it’s not a “patent” exclusively owned by China. On the contrary, we see it as a symphony and team performance instead of a solo or one-man show. And I am very pleased to see that “One Belt, One Road” has grown to become the shared efforts and aspiration of all populace along its path.

Recently, I have been asked by a number of friends from abroad about the relationship between the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century. They asked me why we put the two together and which one ranks higher in our priority: the Belt or the Road? In my view, since the ancient times, the Silk Road has always been developing both on the continent and at sea. In some sense, camels and sailing boats have epitomized the trade and cultural exchanges across the Eurasia continent and beyond into the vast oceans. The routes we have pioneered overland and across the seas complemented each other in coexistence. Today, the Belt and the Road are like the two wings of Asia. To fly high, we need both wings to be powerful. Therefore, we attach equal importance to the Belt and the Road so that the two would reinforce each other. Situated on the crossroads of the Asia Pacific and the European economies, it is essential that countries in the South and West Asia grow land and maritime cooperation in sync. We believe that all partners along the routes of the Belt and Road, whether coastal countries or landlocked ones, could make unique contributions to promoting connectivity and international trade, and as equal contributors to and beneficiaries of this initiative, we should all enjoy the rights to participate in the international maritime cooperation.

Compared with the Silk Road overland, the Maritime Silk Road shares similarities but also has its unique characters. It has its own set of advantages, potentials, as well as difficulties and challenges. Going forward, I believe the success of the Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century would require effective efforts to coordinate our cooperation. To make that happen, we must equip ourselves with an open mind as broad as that of an ocean and muster courage strong enough to brave winds and waves.