I. People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges in the New Era

The roots of the Initiative are to be found in the ancient Silk Road, a witness to the long history of people-to-people exchanges between China and the countries along the Belt and Road. Since the launch of its reform and opening-up drive, China has set great store by friendly exchanges with these countries. Active intergovernment diplomatic exchanges have laid a solid foundation for friendly exchanges among the people. Over the decades, China and the Initiative-related countries have conducted increasingly deeper dialogues between different civilizations and broadened their people-to-people exchanges. The ever-improving multi-layered mechanisms and platforms for bilateral and multilateral exchange and cooperation have been growing increasingly smoother in practical operation.

The Initiative was proposed in 2013 based on hundreds, even thousands of years of friendly exchanges, and against a backdrop of decades of friendship among peoples in the contemporary time. It unveiled a new chapter for connecting China with other countries as it is of vital significance for the mutual benefit of countries along the Belt and Road, and offers unprecedented opportunities for people-to-people interaction. Thanks to the Initiative’s achievements over the past three years, China and the other countries involved are now interacting in more innovative ways across an expanse of exchanges that is ever-broader in scope and scale. China has also gained more recognition and soft power in associated countries, reaping fruitful results.

First, the modes of people-to-people exchanges between China and countries along the Belt and Road have been growing increasingly diversified and the content increasingly richer. For more than three years, China and these countries have held a diverse range of people-to-people exchanges, including cultural years, art festivals, film festivals, TV weeks, book fairs and other events, involving extensive public participation in these countries for the various programs boasting diversified cultural contents. For instance, the First Silk Road International Cultural Expo, held in 2016, demonstrated the inimitable cultures of the countries along the Belt and Road, with exhibits showcasing the unique cultural features of various peoples. Such events allow the public of the various countries to appreciate different Eurasian cultures, thus deepening their mutual understanding.The blossoming cultural industry has also created richer people-to-people exchanges and innovative means of cultural interaction. China gives great support to the development of the cultural industry in countries along the Belt and Road by way of building cultural industry bases and creative parks, and staging artistic performances. These efforts present the profound essence of Silk Road culture to the public, and attach modern elements to the rich histories of different peoples. The Initiative also encourages cultural enterprises to stage commercial performances overseas and engage in cultural trade with other countries, so as to promote cultural products abroad. These projects broaden the channels for countries along the Belt and Road to enhance mutual understanding and friendship.

Second, based on the Initiative, countries along the Belt and Road are initiating people-to-people exchanges in more fields, driving deeper cooperation in various social fields, and bringing benefits to the general public. People-to-people exchanges based on the Initiative are happening in science, technology, education, culture, tourism and think tank cooperation. These exchanges leverage complementary strengths to yield mutual benefits and serve mutual interests, and China plays a vital role in facilitating such exchanges. One of these benefits is social development through sharing technology and knowledge. For instance, the Initiative is encouraging Chinese agricultural technology to go global at a faster pace, benefiting China’s neighbors. Through smoothly functioning projects like China-Pakistan agricultural industrialization and China-Kyrgyzstan science and technology parks, China is sharing its indigenous technologies for cultivating high yield crops with countries along the Belt and Road. In cultural education, the Initiative has sponsored youth education programs and provided foreign educational assistance. These efforts have engaged talented academics in exchanges and communication and promoted grassroots education through reciprocal people-to-people assistance. Broader people-to-people exchanges create deeper interaction among peoples and cultures, and nurtured deep friendships. An array of grassroots people-to-people events is taking place in fields like culture, art, and tourism. China is reaching out to foreign visitors via provincial tourism cooperation projects, and has organized several “Year of Silk Road Tourism” events to enable travelers from countries along the Belt and Road to experience Chinese folk culture. These frequent friendly exchanges have also boosted other related industries.

Third, people-to-people exchanges continue to expand from countries along the Belt and Road across a wider geographical range. China and the Belt and Road countries have set up exchange platforms in an increasingly large number of cities to accommodate the expanding scale of people-to-people exchanges and the elevating levels of local public participation. On the part of China, it has established more than 500 Confucius Institutes in over 100 countries, introducing the Chinese culture to countries along the Belt and Road and the rest of the world. The impact of the Initiative has even been felt in Africa, the west end of the Silk Road – when Africa was afflicted by the Ebola and Zika pandemics, China offered practical medical services and emergency relief. Meanwhile, in Western Europe, China and France have co-hosted ten consecutive annual “Festival Croisements”to celebrate the cultural essence of both countries. Over the years, these events have served to inspire cooperation between Chinese and Western artists, and bolstered exchanges in art and culture.

Finally, by promoting friendly exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road, the Initiative has helped enhance the cognition of China by the public in these countries and improve China’s soft power in other countries. It has translated people-to-people exchanges into a great opportunity for Chinese culture to “go global.”In the New Era, China introduces its culture through products and services, and exports premium Chinese TV programs and films. In Cambodia, a Chinese period drama, The Romance of Three Kingdoms, showcased China’s profound history and philosophy. It scored high audience ratings with its excellent production and plotlines. Foreign media’s heightened attention and curiosity has led to more TV coverage on China by various foreign media like Al Jazeera, and CCTV foreign channels are attracting more and more foreign viewers. Public curiosity about Chinese culture is also causing a “Chinese Language Craze” in countries along the Belt and Road, and making Chinese education increasingly attractive.