Clarifying Misunderstandings,Conveying the Essence

By WANG PENG

THIS year marks the sixth anniversary of the inception of the Belt and Road Initiative （BRI）. In April 2019， China will host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. While welcoming guests from all over the world， we also need to make clarifications on some internationally prevalent misunderstandings about the initiative. Only in this way， can we enhance the peopleto-people bonds， realize shared growth through consultation and collaboration， and ensure long-lasting and fruitful cooperation.

Is the initiative a Chinese version of the Marshall Plan designed to fill the power vacuum left by the U.S.？

Among much confusion about the BRI in international public opinion， the U.S. perception and Sino-U. S. relations are important factors. Since its inception， the initiative has continued to forge cooperative partnerships around the world. The international communitys cognition and perception of it is transforming into understanding， recognition， participation， and internalization from the initial incomprehension， nonparticipation and even suspicion and fear.

The overall situation is gratifying， yet there are still some problems. For example， in some research reports of Western think tanks， they still misinterpret the BRI intentionally or unintentionally. Among the many misunderstandings and distortions， there is one typical viewpoint – China is filling the power void left by the U.S.

As the single hegemonic power in the current international system， the U.S. is highly anxious about the rise of China and is highly alert to Chinese initiatives and solutions including the BRI. In this context， some American think tanks and policy advisors tend to interpret the initiative from a geopolitical perspective， arguing， “The true purpose of the BRI is to seek national security，” and it aims to “fill the power vacuum left by the U.S.” Since Donald Trump came to power， the U.S. adopted a protectionist policy which placed the countrys economic dominance in the world， especially in the East Asia-West Pacific region， in jeopardy. Globally， they think only China has both the strength and will to “fill” the “vacancy” after the abdication of the U.S. economic hegemony. The BRI is precisely the specific“strategy” to achieve this goal.

Unfortunately however， all the above observations and subsequent conclusions are based on the misunderstanding of the “imagined facts，” and also accompanied by certain logical fallacies， thus leading to the wrong conclusion.