Preface

　　DaiChangzheng

　　Chinaissaidtobethewinnerofglobalization;tosomeextent,it’strue.China’seconomyhasbeenrapidlystridingforwardinthepastthreedecadesafterthelaunchingofreformandopenninguppolicy.Asaresult,China’scomprehensivenationalstrengthhasbeengreatlyenhanced.Generallyspeaking,China’sriseiswelcomedintheinternationalsociety,however,somecautiouscommentsanddebatesinthemeantime,havealsobeenputforward.Thisisofcoursesomewhatlogic.Asanationphsicallysobigof1.3billionpopulation,withsomanyuncertaintiesandflexibilities,itsgreatchangesnaturallywouldattractcuriositiesandinterests,andevenworriesfromtheinternationalsociety.

　　DiscussionsaboutChinaanditsrelationswiththerestworldmainlyfocusonwhetherChina’srevivalwouldfollowapeacefulwayandinwhatwayChinawoulduseitspower.ConsideringanothersenarioappearingsodifferentlyfromthatofChinawitheconcomicrecessionasthemainsymptomintheWestafter2008economiccrisis,theworryandanxietyofsomepeopleinJapan,theUSAandEuropeareunderstandable.Becauseinthelonghistory,Chinahasactedasthepupiloflearningmodernizationandbeenusedtolookinguptotheexistantpowers,it’shardforthosecountrieswhichareregardedasmodelsofmoderntimeworldtomakeobjectiveassessmentofChina’sachievement,andit’sevenharderforthemtoadapttothechangingsituationresultedfromChina’srising.

　　Ontheonehand,Chinahasalsobeenatthecrossroadoftransition.EvenifweonlytakeintoconsiderationtheeconomyinChina,problems,difficultiesandevenpredicmentsareeasilyfound.Increasementslow-down,strcuturalimbalance,defectiveefficiency,highenviromentalcost,resourceandenergydefficiencyareafewfactorsamongwhichtrapitsfurtherdevelopment.Ontheotherhand,Chinaisholdinganovercapacityofproductionhardtobedigestedinthetraditionalway,verycontrarytothestatusquoofitsmostneighbouringcountrieswhicharesufferingfromlackofbasicimpetusofdevelopmentduetothescarceinfrastructureandproductivity.Inthisregard,bothsidesofChinaandtheneighbouringcountriesareinneedofeachother.Evencountriesbeyondtheregion,becauseoftheirdevelopmentalstages,andbecauseofthedivertiesofproduction,consumptionandmarkets,commoninterestsandchancesofcooperationarestillabundant,andneedtobefoundandactivated.

　　Drawingfromthepastexperiences,practicallyChinaisclearofit’sowneffectivestrategyofreformandopenningup,andtheneedofutilizingboththedomesticandforeignmarkets.Ontheotherhand,Chinahasdeepunderstandingoftheglobalizationstrengthandthesignificanceofinternationalcooperation.Further,withtheenlightmentofitstraditionalwisdom,ChinaneverjudgesitsachievementontheerroneousbasisofChauvinismandbigpower’ssuperiosity.Butrather,Chinahasincreasinglyrealizedthatapeacefulandproperousworld,andamutuallydependentrelationshipswithothernationsareforemostsignificanttoitsowninterests.InPresidentXi’swords,buildingcommunityofcommonfatessurelycomformstotheinterestsofbothChinaandtherestoftheworld.

　　Againstthisbackground,OBORinitiativewasproposed.Greatinterestandheateddebateswereattractedaftertheinitiativewasannounced,notjustbecauseitwasasograndplanandsomanycountrieswouldbeinvolvedin,butalsobecauseitwaspublicizedrightatthetimethattheWestworldwasincreasinglysensitiveofChina’seconomicsuccessandpoliticalinfluence.ItiseventrueregardingthatJapan,theUSAandWestEuropewerestillwrestlingwitheconomicstagnationandrecession,andthegeopliticalsituationwasmorepronetotheChineseside.

　　It’sreasonableforthosecountries,especiallytheexistantbigpowerstoshowtheirprecautionsontheissue,however,ontheChineseside,it’ssoclearthatOBORinitiativeisneitheraMarshelPlanreadyfortheColdWar,noraninstrumentforgeopoliticalcompetition.Itisaprogrammeandplatformforinternationalcooperationandeconomicrevitalization.TheBeltandRoadcountriescouldlinkmorecloselywithChina’sdevelopmentandsharetheopportunitiesofglobalization,andChinacouldalsotakeadvantagesoftheopenningbusiness,tradeandmarketsofthosecountries.Inotherwords,OBORinitiativeisnotazero-sumgame,butawin-winscheme.

　　Inlightofthis,andtomoredegreefortheirnationalinterests,someofthecountriesintheWestalreadyhaveexpressedtheirhighappraisalandenthusiasm,andevenhavetakenpracticalactionstojoinin.Forexample,theUK,Germany,FranceandItalyhavealreaybecomethemembersofAIIB,andCanadaexpresseditswillingnessofthemembershipofAIIBattheeveofG20SummitheldatthecityofHangzhourecently.Itisreasonabletoestimatethatmoreconntrieswouldbecomeinterestedinandparticipateintheinitiativebasedonthieirrationalcalculationandnationalnecessity,regardingthatmoremutualinteraction,understandingandtrustwillbestrenghthenedbetweenChinaandtherestWorld.

　　Includedintheproceedingtobepublishedarepaperswhoseauthorsarefrommorethan10countriesofbothChinaandforeignonesdedicatedtotheinternationalconferencewiththetitleof“ThefourthInternationalSummerForumatUIBE—‘TheBeltandRoad’InitiativeandInternationalSociety”heldattheUniversityofInternationalBusinessandEconomics,Beijing,ChinaonJuly19th,2015.Morethan30scholarsbothdomesticandabroadtriedtoextendtheirlearningandunderstandingofChina’sOBORinitiative,andhopedtofurthertouchupontheprofoundmeanings,waysofimplementation,meansofcooperation,andeffectslikelytobecreatedofOBOR.Varitiesofrelevantissuesandnearlyalldemensionsconcernedwereputintohotdiscussionsanddebates.Reasonably,exclusiveagreementcouldnotbeachievedbecauseoftheauthors’diversifiedstances,viewpointsofvalues,perspectivesofobservation,andmethodsofresearch,however,allthepaperscollectedherehavedemonstratedakindofprofessionalspirit,academicpursuit,andscientificgraveness.Inthissense,thoughthecollectionmayholdsomepreliminaryandprematurereflectionsontheinitiative,itisstillofgreatvalueandworthbeingpublicized,sothatitcouldnotonlybeanaffirmationoftheeffortsoftheconferenceandthehardworkoftheauthors,butalsobegreathelptothereaderswhoarekeepinggreatinterestandcuriosityinthefantasticOBORinitiative.