DavidBlaironBRIcreatingnewopportunitiesandmomentumforparticipatingcountries_GuangmingOnlineDavidBlaironBRIcreatingnewopportunitiesandmomentumforparticipatingcountriesInterviewSeries:CommunitywithaSharedFutureforMankindEP15:DavidBlaironBRIcreatingnewopportunitiesandmomentumforparticipatingcountriesWelcomeback.Inthisepisode,DavidBlair,vicepresidentandsenioreconomistattheCenterforChinaandGlobalization(CCG),willjoinustodiscussChina’spracticeinpromotingthebuildingofacommunitywithasharedfutureformankindthroughhigh-standardopeninguptotheoutsideworld.Dr.Blair,welcome.Q1:Inrecentyears,Chinahasputforwardtheconceptofacommunitywithasharedfutureformankind.Whatisyourtakeonthisconcept,andhowdoespracticingthisconceptcontributetoglobaleconomicgrowthandcommonprosperity?DavidBlair:IthinkwhenChinatalksaboutasharedfutureforallmankind,themostimportantfactorispeace.Youknow,avoidingconflictsfrominternationalsituationsismoreimportantthananythingelse.OneofthereasonsChinahasbeenabletosucceedoverthelastfortyyearsandtheChinesepeoplehavebecomesomuchbetteroffisthatChinahasn’thadawar.Inmyowncountry,we'vebeenbasicallycontinuouslyinwar,andit'sdoneterriblethingstooureconomyourpeople,andoursociety.Ithinkthemainthinggoingforwardisthattheworldfindsawaytocooperateandmaintainpeacefulgrowth,that'sreallycritical.We'reinapositionnowintheworldwhereatremendousamountofdamagecouldbedone.Imean,IneverexpectedtoseeabigwarinEuropeagaininmylifetime.Sohavingaglobalcooperationtoavoidthatkindofnonsenseisthemostimportantthinggoingforward.TheUSeconomyisalmostallNorthAmerica-based.TheChineseeconomyisgoingtomovemoreandmoretoChinaandSoutheastAsiaand“BeltandRoad”countries.Europehasalwaysbeenahighlyprotectionistsector.Soeconomically,it'simportantthatwedonothavebigconflictswitheachother.Ithinktalkingwith,understandingeachother,notdemonizingeachother,that'sthemostimportantpartofsharedprosperityandasharedfutureformankind.Q2:Inyouropinion,whataretheeffortsChinahasmadeinpromotinghigh-standardopening-upthatareofparticularcontributiontothat“sharedprosperity”ofallcountries?DavidBlair:I'mmostfamiliarwiththeBeltandRoadinitiative.Ithinkit'sagoodthing.TheBRIismakingcertainreasonablypriced,high-qualityinfrastructureavailabletoAfrica,SoutheastAsia,andSouthAsiathatwouldnothavebeenavailableanywhereelse,creatinganopportunityforthem.Infrastructureisreallycriticalfordevelopment,theyneedinfrastructureinordertobuildbusinessesandtakeadvantage.Becauseofthehugeinfrastructureboomoverthelast20yearsinChina,Chinesecompaniesknowhowtobuildstuffquicklyandfairlycheaplycomparedtoanywhereelseintheworld.Soit'sanopportunityforthosecompaniestousetheirexpertisetoproduceitincountriesthatneedtheinfrastructure.I'veseenalotofChineseprojectsinAfricainparticular.WithouttheseChinesecompanies,inmanyoftheseareas,theinfrastructurewouldnotbebuilt,becausetheydon'thaveanybodyfinancingthem,andtheymaynothavecompaniesthatknowhowtodoit.SoIthinkthisisvery,verybeneficialforalotofthesecountries.Q3:SoarethereanyimpressivecasesofinfrastructureprojectsthathavebeencarriedoutincooperationbetweenChinaandotherBeltandRoadcountries?DavidBlair:IhadthechancetogotoEthiopiathree,orfouryearsago.Isawalotofhighwaysandtheverycriticalrailroad(AddisAbaba-DjiboutiRailway)beingbuiltfromAddisAbaba,thecapital,toDjibouti,acountry-basedmainportforEthiopia.WithouttheBeltandRoadandsimilarChinesesupport,thatwouldnothavebeenpossible.AnotherexampleIsawisadam(KarumaHydropowerStation)beingbuiltinUgandaonthe(Victoria)NileRiver.Ugandahaswelllessthanhalfthepopulationhasanyaccesstoelectricity,andthedamwillgreatlyimprovetheirlivesbygivingthemaccesstoelectricity.Thereisaveryyoungdynamicpopulation,andtheyprobablycantakeadvantageofthatbybuildingbusinessesandimprovingtheirlives.SoIthinktheBeltandRoadispotentiallyaverygoodthing.PartofitisgivingthosecountriesopportunitiestoselltheirproductsinChina,whichIthinkisjustessentialforthemgoingforward.Q4:Thankyoufortheexamples.WehavenoticedthatastheinternationalinfluenceoftheBRIcontinuestoexpand,someWesterncountrieshavevoicednegativeopinionstowardsthisinitiative.Whatisyourperspectiveonthis?DavidBlair:IfyoulistentotheAmericanpress,there'salotofcriticismoftheBRI,andit'salwaysveryvague.It'sjustbasicallycriticismsofChinabeinginvolvedintheseareas.Idon'tseeanylegitimatereasonforcriticizingit.It'sagoodthingformostofthesecountries.Ithinkrelationshipsbetweenthemaregood,Chinaiskindofagodsendformanyofthesecountries,becausepreviouslytheyhadnoopportunitytypicallyratherthantheirformerEuropeancolonialpowertodominatethem,soalltheirtradeandinvestmentbasicallycamewithaformercolonialpower.NowtheygetopportunitiestheycaneithertradewithEuropeortheycantradewithChina,andthatputstheminamuch,muchbetterposition.MostofthemarewelcomingChineseinvestors.It’snotonlyChineseinvestmentthroughtheBRI,italsocreatesalotofopportunitiesforprivatesectorinvestments.IfyougoaroundAfricayousee(thousands)ofChineseentrepreneursthere.Theycreatejobopportunities.Theycreatebusinessparks,theycreatesmallbusinesses.They'retransformingmuchofthecontinent.SotheBRIiskindofaleaderfortheprivatesectortogetinthereandfurtherdeveloptheseareas,especiallytheAfricancontinent.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.