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 yielded 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 themselves, and to understand the future expectations of the 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. Approximately 11,000 valid questionnaires in total were collected and the sample subjects were residents over 18 years old in each country.

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

By GT staff reporters

In the annals of world history, the famous Silk Road once connected countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and China. This route not only facilitated trade between the countries along its path but also promoted cultural exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations among different countries and regions.

Today, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China is promoting joint development and prosperity among the countries along the Eurasian and African routes. This initiative is allowing people from various countries to share a harmonious, peaceful, and prosperous life, continuing the legacy of connectivity and cooperation that the Silk Road symbolized centuries ago.

The latest survey conducted by the Global Times Institute (GTI) found out that a significant number of respondents had heard of the BRI. Compared with plans or initiatives proposed by other countries or international organizations, more respondents expressed optimism about the role that the BRI plays in the world across different countries and regions, ranking above the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor proposed by the US and the Global Gateway strategy proposed by the European Union.

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).

Pakistan also has the highest agreement rate for actively sharing poverty alleviation experiences; 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. 

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.

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.

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, the survey found.

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. 

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 between rich and poor countries. Nearly half of the respondents would be pleased to see the US participate in the BRI. 

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

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. 

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. 

An SGR (Standard Gauge Railway) freight train departs 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. Photo: VCG

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. 

"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. 

Public benefits 

The key to sound relations between countries lies in the affinity between their peoples. China announced at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in October 2023 that it 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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Cui Hongjian, a professor from the Country and Area Studies Academy 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. 

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

He Wenping, a research fellow 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 longstanding information cocoon about China among foreign people. 

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. 

High hopes

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. 

Nearly half of the respondents 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. 

Regarding media criticisms that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is "neocolonialism" and creates a "debt trap," 72 percent of respondents have a clear stance on this issue. Among them, an average of 13 percent of respondents across 13 countries believe these accusations are baseless attacks, 24 percent consider them misunderstandings, and 21 percent think they represent bias. Additionally, 28 percent view these claims as risk warnings. 

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). 

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 11 years. 

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

Source:Global Times