” Unlike the … Marshall Plan which partly contributed to the shaping of the Cold War, China’s initiatives are no political agenda …developing countries crave for development without political strings attached by the West,…..China seek to establish a supremacy in Asia and beyond”
BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) Wang Shang — Referring to the “One Belt, One Road” initiatives as the Chinese version of Marshall Plan reveals the ignorance of some people and even the ulterior intentions of others.
The initiatives, namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, are different from the U.S. Marshall Plan in so many ways that any serious historian or political analyst would think such an analogy is far-fetched.
Firstly, motivational differences are striking. Unlike the politically directed Marshall Plan which partly contributed to the shaping of the Cold War, China’s initiatives are no political agenda to intensify any confrontation. They are driven by China’s realization that many developing countries crave for development without political strings attached by the West, and the belief that helping them can benefit China in return.
China does not intend to take advantage of the initiatives to form an alliance against a certain country or any group of countries. Neither does China seek to establish a supremacy in Asia and beyond.
With the initiatives, China aspires to bolster common development instead of intensifying antagonistic sentiments. As Chinese President Xi Jinping has pointed out, the initiatives are “a huge and inclusive platform which aims to combine the rapidly expanding Chinese economy with the benefits of all parties involved.”
While the Marshall Plan excluded communist countries and escalated the confrontation between the Soviet Union and the West, China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiatives are open to all countries that want peace and development, without attaching any additional conditions.
The second major difference is that the “One Belt, One Road” initiatives will be jointly undertaken by all countries involved and will benefit all parties through cooperation and consultation.
While the Marshall Plan was crucial to Western European countries’ rise from the ashes of WWII, it also helped the United States to establish the U.S. dollar-centered Bretton Woods System, which practically ensured the absolute dominance of the U.S. currency.
But China does not want that. As always, China calls for multi-polarization and equal conversations on all international matters.
Just like what Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday, the initiatives are not a solo but a symphony of all relevant parties.
In advancing the initiatives, China will act according to the principles of broad consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. China has also promised to carry out equal-footed consultation and respect the choice of other countries.
Though China has invested heavily in the initiatives and founded institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund, China will not force its wills on other countries.
Instead, China will be sensitive to other parties, ensure transparency and openness, align the initiatives with the development strategies of other parties, and create synergy with existing regional cooperation mechanisms.
Thirdly, while the Marshall Plan was, in a sense, a contingency plan which lasted about four years, China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiatives are long-term projects aimed at promoting a more integrated and better-communicated international community prospering economically and culturally.
China does realize that advocating campaigns of this scale is bound to encounter difficulties and setbacks. However, it believes their potential benefits for all parties are worthwhile.
So its commitment to the initiatives is sincere, its patience unbending.