On September 7, Chinese President
Xi Jinping proposed during a speech at Nazarbayev University in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, that China and Central Asian countries build an economic belt along the
Silk Road together.
This concept has gradually formed during recent years. The combined population of the countries and areas it covers is nearly 3 billion, representing a huge market with great potential. The belt connects the Asian-Pacific economic circle in the East and the European economic circle in the West. Countries along the belt have great potential to cooperate in many fields including those of transportation, finance, energy, telecommunication, agriculture and tourism.
Xi Jinping's announcement indicates the central government highly values the idea, and the proposal will help support the stable development of the Chinese economy.
The author is Jia Xiudong, a media personality.