During his visit to Kazakhstan and Indonesia in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the proposal of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, which became known as the Belt and Road Initiative. The Initiative is based on the principle of achieving shared growth through dialogue and collaboration and reviving the “Silk Road spirit” that prevailed on the ancient historical trade route, a spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefits.

Today, the Belt and Road Initiative is implementing green, low-carbon and sustainable development while promoting policy communication, facilities connectivity, smooth trade, unimpeded financing, and people-to-people ties. The joint efforts of the countries and international organizations participating in it have opened up a new space for global economic growth, created a new platform for international trade and investment and ushered in new practices in global economic governance. They have made new contributions to promoting people’s wellbeing universally, and provided Chinese solutions for building a community of shared future for humanity.

As the panoramic vision of the Initiative unfolds, the rough sketch has been transformed into a precise, targeted and detailed intricate painting. The Belt and Road is rooted in history but oriented toward the future. It originated in China, but belongs to the world. A popular public product developed with joint efforts, the Initiative spans different regions, development stages, and civilizations, forming a strong synergy across the world.

The story of the development of the Belt and Road Initiative is a mosaic of moving stories from a great and strong global community of shared future. More and more unheard voices are emerging today, telling the stories of nations realizing their century-old dreams and the fates of multitudes of people changing for the better. They also tell how the overseas-bound Chinese contributed to the realization of these dreams on foreign soil. Each of these vivid stories is unique and comes from the heart.

In our work, we have had the privilege of coming across a large number of such stories, about the changes brought by jointly-built projects and the appreciation of the ordinary people who benefited from them. We felt there was a need to record these moving stories and tell them to more people to share the joy of dreams coming true.

It was the reason A Bright Shared Future – Stories Along the Belt and Road was conceived and we hope it will help our readers understand the significance of forging a community of shared future for humanity, the close connection between the Chinese Dream and the aspirations of the people of other countries, and that the Belt and Road is an important platform for building a community of shared future for all peoples.

We hope these stories will resonate with more and more people and they will be moved to contribute in their own way to the Initiative by supporting a green and low-carbon sustainable lifestyle, peace and innovation. Our purpose would have been served if this book manages to connect civilizations.

The Editorial Board

October 2019

During his visit to Kazakhstan and Indonesia in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the proposal of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, which became known as the Belt and Road Initiative. The Initiative is based on the principle of achieving shared growth through dialogue and collaboration and reviving the “Silk Road spirit” that prevailed on the ancient historical trade route, a spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefits.

Today, the Belt and Road Initiative is implementing green, low-carbon and sustainable development while promoting policy communication, facilities connectivity, smooth trade, unimpeded financing, and people-to-people ties. The joint efforts of the countries and international organizations participating in it have opened up a new space for global economic growth, created a new platform for international trade and investment and ushered in new practices in global economic governance. They have made new contributions to promoting people’s wellbeing universally, and provided Chinese solutions for building a community of shared future for humanity.

As the panoramic vision of the Initiative unfolds, the rough sketch has been transformed into a precise, targeted and detailed intricate painting. The Belt and Road is rooted in history but oriented toward the future. It originated in China, but belongs to the world. A popular public product developed with joint efforts, the Initiative spans different regions, development stages, and civilizations, forming a strong synergy across the world.

The story of the development of the Belt and Road Initiative is a mosaic of moving stories from a great and strong global community of shared future. More and more unheard voices are emerging today, telling the stories of nations realizing their century-old dreams and the fates of multitudes of people changing for the better. They also tell how the overseas-bound Chinese contributed to the realization of these dreams on foreign soil. Each of these vivid stories is unique and comes from the heart.

In our work, we have had the privilege of coming across a large number of such stories, about the changes brought by jointly-built projects and the appreciation of the ordinary people who benefited from them. We felt there was a need to record these moving stories and tell them to more people to share the joy of dreams coming true.

It was the reason A Bright Shared Future – Stories Along the Belt and Road was conceived and we hope it will help our readers understand the significance of forging a community of shared future for humanity, the close connection between the Chinese Dream and the aspirations of the people of other countries, and that the Belt and Road is an important platform for building a community of shared future for all peoples.

We hope these stories will resonate with more and more people and they will be moved to contribute in their own way to the Initiative by supporting a green and low-carbon sustainable lifestyle, peace and innovation. Our purpose would have been served if this book manages to connect civilizations.

The Editorial Board

October 2019