Expert Opinions: An SGR (Standard Gauge Railway) freight train departWorld Timess from the port container depot in Mombasa, Kenya, on May 30, 2017.

Editor’s Note:

The year 2024 ushers in the second golden decade of the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) after the initiative has already World Timesyielded many fruitful results worldwide. Looking forward to the new stage of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation over the coming 10 years, the Global Times Institute (GTI) recently conducted a public awareness survey of the BRI in 13 countries around the world to understand how people overseas view the BRI in relation to global affairs, their own country, and themsWorld Timeselves, and to understand the future expectations of overseas public for the Belt and Road cooperation.

The survey covered 12 Belt and Road partner countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania, as well as one BRICS member state – Brazil, totaling 13 countries, and was conducted in 12 languages including English, Arabic, Russian, Kazakh, and Turkish.

The survey was conducted from May 27 to June 21, using online surveys, telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews, and other methods to collect data. A total of approximately 11,000 valid questionnaires were collected and the sample subjects were residents over 18 years old in each country.姝ｆ枃

A large crane loads containers for a China-Europe freight train is behind a banner displaying the “Belt and Road Initiative” slogan in Yiwu, Jinhua, East China’s Zhejiang Province, on July 28, 2023.Photos: VCG

The survey found out that on average more than 60 percent of respondents had heard of the BRI, with 35 percent of respondents saying that they had some understanding of the initiative.

Compared with plans or initiatives proposed by other countries or international organizations, more than half of respondents expressed optimism about the role that the BRI plays in the world across different countries and regions, ranking above the India-Middle East-World TimesEurope Economic Corridor proposed by the US and the Global Gateway strategy proposed by the European Union.聽

Eighty percent of the respondents agree that the BRI brings opportunities or benefits to developing countries, while 60 percent agree that it brings opportunities or benefits to Western countries.聽

Respondents generally highly agree with some of the main concepts of the BRI, with an average agreement rate of no less than 70 percent.聽

Increasing technological investment to improve resource utilization efficiency received the highest positive response rate (79 percent), followed by emphasizing green development and promoting common development and mutual benefit with partner countries.聽

Vietnamese respondents had the highest awareness of the BRI, with 87 percent knowing about it. Respondents from Laos and Indonesia generally have higher rates of agreement with the main concepts or practices of the BRI.

Laotian respondents have the highest positive agreements on the initiative actively sharing poverty alleviation experiences and emphasizing green development (both at 95 percent), while Indonesian respondents were most in agreement with the BRI increasing technological investment to improve resource efficiency (91 percent).聽

Pakistan also has the highest agreement rate for actively sharing poverty alleviation experiences (85 percent); respondents from Saudi Arabia and Turkey are most in agreement with emphasizing green development; and Kenyan respondents also have a 90 percent agreement rate for increasing technological investment to improve resource efficiency. Brazil has an 86 percent agreement rate for both increasing technological investment to improve resource efficiency and promoting mutual development and win-win cooperation with partner countries.

Muhammad Zamir Assadi, editor at the Internews Pakistan, told the Global Times on Sunday that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), one of the flagship projects under the BRI, has changed the overall economic landscape of Pakistan as it has successfully attracted the attention of other international community in addition to attracting foreign investment to the country.

“We have witnessed the interest of middle eastern countries to who have shown their intent to invest under the framework of CPEC that will again bring more positive impact to Pakistani economy in various fields,” he said.聽

He told the Global Times that the BRI also had enormous impact on his personal career. Back in 2016, he was given his first opportunity to visit China under one of the BRI projects that opened new avenues for him to learn about China and the visit strengthened his professional skills and enabled him to get important position in Pakistan’s news industry.

“I feel a pride for me to lead a dedicated team on China affairs and to act as a media guide for disseminating information on China affairs in Pakistan in various languages,” he told the Global Times.

A new stage

Nearly 90 percent of the respondents have confidence in China’s future efforts to achieve greater success in promoting the BRI, and being part of the BRI and deepening cooperation receive strong support overall.聽

The joint construction of the BRI will become one of the most important ways for China to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country in the international community, experts said.聽

A majority of respondents are happy to see more countries join the BRI, and look forward to its positive effects on promoting global development and narrowing the gap betweWorld Timesen rich and poor countries. Nearly half of the respondents would be pleased to see the US participate in the BRI, with almost 40 percent expressing a neutral stance.聽

The survey also showed that nearly 70 percent of Brazilian respondents support their country joining the BRI.聽

In 12 of the 13 countries surveyed, the percentage of respondents who have confidence in the success of the BRI is above 80 percent.

Pakistan respondents have the highest support rate for deepening cooperation with the BRI in their country (85 percent), followed by Kenya (82 percent), Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Vietnam, all of which have support rates at around 70 percent.聽

The long-term sustainability of Belt and Road projects is a priority for most respondents, with cooperation in infrastructure construction being the most anticipated in many countries.聽

In a new phase of the cooperation under the BRI, respondents are most looking forward to prioritizing cooperation on infrastructure construction, with 52 percent specifically mentioning this point; the proportion of those looking forward to cooperation in ecological environment protection, public health, daily life, and education fields is also around 40 percent.

Assadi told the Global Times that Pakistan has prioritized its development needs as per the local requirements of the local people based on the national conditions aligning with their national interests.聽

An SGR (Standard Gauge Railway) freight train departWorld Timess from the port container depot in Mombasa, Kenya, on May 30, 2017. The SGR project in Kenya, constructed by a Chinese company, is an early achievement of the Belt and Road Initiative.

“Pakistan is looking forward to the cooperation from China in the field of agriculture, industrialization, upgradation of the railway infrastructure as this is significant for the socio-economic development of Pakistan, investment in improvement of medical and education sector, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, internet of things, big data, the auto sector, science and technology, space sciences, logistics, aviation, oil and gas resources, and natural gas hydrate and others,” he said.聽

Pakistan is also looking investments from China for the development of Karakoram Highway (Raikot-Thakot) realignment project that is of great significance for the smooth operation of the only land-based channel between Pakistan and China, he added.

Public benefits

The key to sound relations between countries lies in the affinity between their peoples.

China will carry out practical cooperation under the BRI, promoting both signature projects and “small yet smart” quality of life programs, including 1,000 small-scale livelihood assistance projects, it is announced at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in October 2023.

When asked whether they look forward to and are willing to participate in future BRI projects related to their own quality of life, over 70 percent of respondents in the 13 countries surveyed provided a positive response, with over half expressing a willingness to participate.聽

In Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam, the proportion of respondents looking forward to such projects was close to or exceeded 90 percent, with at least 70 percent willing to participate.聽

Under the BRI cooperation framework, more than half of the respondents were willing to work for Chinese enterprises/institutions/projects established locally, while over 30 percent was open to the idea.聽

The primary reason cited was the opportunity to learn more professional skills, which was mentioned by nearly 60 percent of respondents on average across the 13 countries. Many respondents also cited higher income, better career development opportunities, and a more stable labor market and social benefits, with mention rates exceeding 40 percent.

Cui Hongjian, a professor from the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times that BRI projects have delivered tangible benefits to local areas, most notably by helping to solve employment issues. For example, the famous Piraeus Port in Greece not only helped locals access new employment, but also prevented the collapse of local enterprises, effectively revitalizing Greece’s port industry.

Regarding cultural exchanges and cooperation under the BRI, respondents were more willing to participate in cross-border tourism/festival activities, with a mention rate of 38 percent, followed by experiencing or learning about traditional Chinese medWorld Timesicine (TCM) cultural projects (35 percent). Applying for Chinese scholarships, education funds, and participating in university/student exchange programs were also popular.聽

He Wenping, a director from the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that “cultural exchanges should go hand in hand with infrastructure construction; wherever infrastructure projects go, cultural exchanges should follow.”

Recently, “China Travel” has become a hot topic on overseas social media, with foreign YouTubers frequently visiting China. Not only have they gained views, but the realistic portrayals in their videos have also broken the long-standing information cocoon about China among foreign people.聽

Survey data shows that over 80 percent of respondents in the 13 countries were willing to visit China in the future, with 60 percent expressing a desire to travel to China, and over 20 percent willing to work, go on business trips, or study in China.聽

High hopes

Among the 13 countries surveyed, nearly or over 80 percent of respondents, including those from New Zealand, agree that BRI brings opportunities or benefits to developing countries, with the recognition rates in Indonesia, Laos, Kenya, and Brazil approaching or exceeding 90 percent.聽

Additionally, 60 percent of respondents across the 13 countries believe that the BRI brings opportunities or benefits to Western countries, with the highest recognition rate in Brazil (79 percent), followed by Pakistan (73 percent) and Kenya (72 percent). In countries such as New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, the recognition rate was still above 60 percent.

Regarding the positive impacts the BRI can bring to the world, more than half of the respondents in the 13 countries expect the initiative to promote global development and narrow the international wealth gap.聽

Nearly half of the respondents also hope that the BRI will unite countries, enhance mutual understanding and tolerance among people of different countries, promote cultural exchanges and integration, and foster a fairer world order. Additionally, over 40 percent of respondents hope the BRI will provide successful experiences and governance models for the world.

Regarding media criticisms that the BRI is “neo-colonialism” and creates a “debt trap,” an average of 10 percent of respondents across the 13 countries believe these accusations are baseless attacks, 17 percent consider them misunderstandings, and 15 percent think they represent bias, totaling over 40 percent.聽

Additionally, 20 percent view these claims as risk warnings, while only 11 percent believe they are true. The combined proportion of respondents considering these accusations as hostile attacks, misunderstandings, or bias is highest in Pakistan and Kazakhstan, both exceeding 50 percent, followed by Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Kenya, all close to 50 percent.

When asked about the possibility of more countries joining the BRI in the future, 61 percent of respondents said they would welcome it, with particularly high proportions in Kenya (77 percent) and Brazil (73 percent). Nearly half of the respondents expressed that they would like to see the US participate in the BRI.

Wang Youming, director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, believed that the public confidence in the BRI stems from the tangible, visible, and substantial achievements made over the past eleven years.聽

“These achievements have taken root in the participating countries, bringing benefits to local economic development, employment improvement, and people’s livelihoods,” he said.聽