ABSTRACT
Since the 1980s, especially since joining the WTO in 2001, China has actively participated in the economic globalisation led by developed countries and has rapidly developed into one of the world’s largest economies. As its influence on the world economic development gradually increases, China officially put forward the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which takes core value of the Eurasian and African continental frameworks to facilitate global cooperation. The core of the BRI’s vision is to promote cooperative practices in all participating countries and regions, to promote community-based common interests and to develop shared value and responsibility, and it features mutual trust, market integration and cultural inclusiveness. In order to make the BRI come to fruition, the Chinese government promotes the construction of the six economic corridors, which will help achieve tangible results in the short term, serve as good models and increase confidence among all parties. Based on official archival and policy documents, this chapter provides some fundamental details for understanding the historical root of BRI, its vision and rationales, as well as the geographical framework characterised by the ‘six economic corridors.’
