BRI public good for an interconnected world

There is little doubt in the international community about the existence of a "development deficit", and the constraints it puts on humanity's pursuit of fairness, peace, stability and prosperity.

Many of the global challenges facing humanity can be traced to the development gaps between countries and peoples. Yet until relatively recently more had been said than done to address this deficit.

The Belt and Road Initiative, as a Chinese answer to the long-standing questions surrounding global development concerns, has been welcomed and endorsed as a pragmatic public good promoting international connectivity and cooperation. Its potential as a means to spur global development has been widely recognized. If its Western critics viewed it objectively, they too would appreciate both its achievements and its potential.