China's "Belt and Road" initiative is a landmark project initiated by President Xi Jinping. (Photo : Reuters)
A day after a cross-strait meeting between Taiwan and China, the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road strategic initiatives have received an unequivocal reaffirmation from a researcher based at the Institute of Law in Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
After the Deputy Chairman of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, Zheng Lizhong, declared 2014 a year of progress for cross-strait relations, Jin Yongming presented President Xi Jinping's initiatives in terms of a restoration of "the lost glory of Chinese civilization."
The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement Committee Meeting that was held on Thursday in Taipei is significant in a discussion of the "One Belt and One Road" economic strategy initiatives, as Taiwan is one of China's international counterparts that stand to gain. The matter of foreign relations is a highlight of Jin's op-ed, and the researcher explains that the initiatives are:
". . . China's important step toward countering the containment policies of certain Western countries, ensuring safe navigation, improving relations with relevant countries and maintaining security. If properly implemented, the initiatives will help build China's image as a rising nation that is ready to undertake more international responsibilities and protect its territorial integrity."
Jin then provides key geographical examples and the significance they hold for China. In South Asia, India's "huge market" is identified, while the Middle East's dominance in the oil industry is given as a reason for the maintenance of "good ties." Economic reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan are also presented as worthwhile opportunities.
As the European Union is China's largest trading partner, the rationale for improved relations with the region is obvious, but Jin also reminds readers that the EU is the "birthplace of many international mechanisms" that are relevant to China. However, the researcher asserts that the political issues in the Ukraine must be approached with caution.
