The Belt and Road Initiative is the most ambitious infrastructure plan in the world today. Proposed by Chinese government, the development strategy highlights Beijing's desire for a more vocal role in international affairs, and to open underdeveloped markets and create connectivity. On Nov. 9, 2015 at the BOAO Forum for Asia: Financial Cooperation Conference, Zhang Xiaoqiang, Former Deputy Director of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), discussed the Belt and Road Initiative in the context of it being a new launching pad for Asia-Europe cooperation.

In terms of how much involvement countries, stretching all the way to Europe, can have along the Belt and Road route, Zhang insisted that a decentralized approach will be taken. Each country's government will be able to offer advice to facilitate development, and different people's participation is most important. When one considers the vast scale of this vision, Beijing will indeed have to rely on other countries' input.

As well as building economic trading routes emanating from China and spreading all the way through to Europe, connectivity is the key word that was repeatedly used. That is, connectivity in terms of trade, investment, finance, and flows of tourists and students.

Due to this, the Belt and Road Initiative includes many political, cultural and human elements. The initiative will see not only economic development, but also political, diplomatic and cultural development between the various countries involved.

Zhang also highlighted how development in the world is very uneven and that there are still over one billion people living in poverty, many of those in Asia. "The Belt and Road Initiative is based on openness, peace and inclusiveness. If participants can follow this spirit then each country can learn from each other culturally and also help solve many conflicts", Zhang said.

As an example of this, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz, who attended the talk, commented that the initiative has actually united every political party in Pakistan together, even the most extreme opposition. It is viewed in many countries as something that will be hugely beneficial to investment and economic development.

The initiative will also develop transportation and energy, and infrastructure for many developing countries laying along the route, which will help these countries industrialize and globalize.

According to Zhang, this project will lead to a very bright future for all involved.

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