The One Belt and One Road:Grand Strategy and Smart Balance

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The One Belt and One Road:Grand Strategy and Smart Balance

By Wei Ling

Asian Studies, Foreign Affairs University

"The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21stCentury Maritime Silk Road" (referring to the One Belt and One Road) is a high-level and all-dimensional grand strategy, carrying the overall objective and the lofty mission of full-range opening-up, overall development, and national rejuvenation, the propelled process of which is also the process for China to go to the world.

The One Belt and One Road is the strategic roadmap for China from a regional country to become a world major country under the new situation, with distinct Chinese characteristics of opening and inclusiveness, peaceful development and win-win cooperation. The One Belt and One Road is not to make a fresh start, but to take full advantage of the existing bilateral, mini-multilateral and multilateral mechanisms, structure a flexible and open strategic partnership network, build a road for China to carry out cooperation and exchange with East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and all the way with Africa and Latin America, so that all parties can enjoy the system dividends of cooperative networks as well as maintain the greatest degree of autonomy and comfort so as to realize harmonious relationships, mutual benefit and common development. The One Belt and One Road is an important platform for economic cooperation, fully embodying the new security concept of "promoting security by development", and promoting common and sustainable security with common and sustainable development. The One Belt and One Road is also a road for cultural exchanges and personnel exchanges, with the historical tradition and the humanistic spirit of respect for differences, and diversified cultures and values.

What Does the U.S. "Return to Asia" Strategy Tell?

Doing research on strategies and layout in the current international system, we cannot but touch on the United States of America. An international strategy vigorously pushed by the Obama Administration is the "returning to Asia", or "Asian rebalancing". Since implementation of the strategy in 2009, it is constantly fine-tuned, but so far cannot be deemed very successful as far as its effect is concerned, there mainly exist three problems. Firstly, over-emphasis on the re-balance from military and security perspective, over-dependence on the U.S. bilateral military alliances, and man-made tension and regional splits, and going against the trend of peace, cooperation and development. Secondly, make high-sounding commitments, but invest inadequately, provide weakened follow-up support. For example, President Obama missed the 2013 East Asia Summit, the "New Silk Road" plan famously dished out by Secretary Hilary ended up with nothing definite, and the practices of which greatly undermined the U.S. credibility. Thirdly, maintain the U.S. hegemony, pay no respect for the local characteristics, and fail to fully mobilize and use local power. The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) pushed hard by the United States of America is a good example. The high standard of the agreement with rigid uniformity does not match the prominent reality of differences in national development in the Asia- Pacific region and "ASEAN-led" regional characteristics. So soon ASEAN launched "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement" (RCEP), reached the decision with 6 major regional countries to complete the negotiations in 2015. This, to a certain extent, is the resistance and response to the U.S. strategy.

Of course, the U.S. "Asian rebalancing" grand strategy does have somereferences：to note. Firstly, the United States of America pays special attention to the cultivation and promotion of its soft strength, will turn the U.S.-type "freedom", "democracy" and "human rights" into universal values, go all out for values diplomacy, intend to occupy the moral high ground, and win over the people. Secondly, in the process of promoting its grand strategy, the United States of America does not only rely on government forces, but fully mobilizes business, education, media and other related social forces, fully takes advantage of various resources, and does a comprehensive, detailed and in-depth job. "The Lower-Mekong Initiative" is a good example. Thirdly, the U.S. institutional innovation and construction show outstanding capability, can continuously iron out new ideas, and take initiative in the international interaction. To promote the One Belt and One Road construction needs to master the five balance relationships

In the process of advancing the One Belt and One Road grand strategy, how to bring into full play the advantages of Chinese traditional culture and wisdom, show China’s characteristics, and realize the symbiosis? The U.S. grand strategy is rooted in the western modernity and its "progressive" ideas, while China’s traditional culture emphasizes "harmony" and "balance". Many problems of modern society and the current world are produced by blindly pursuing one aspect of progress, which leads to various imbalances, and the "rebalancing" may probably get the same result. Therefore, the One Belt and One Road strategy must grasp the balance in order to succeed, especially the smart balance between the following relationships.

First, balance between discussions and pragmatism. Paying attention to important points while also working with secondary ones, Working out not only strategy, concepts and initiatives, but also fine-tuned planning and pragmatic action plans, mobilizing all forces, particularly making good use of non-public sector resources, enforcing programs and plans to create tangible benefits for people of various countries.

Second, balance between development and security. Development indeed can promote security, but this development must be balanced development, sustainable development, taking into consideration fair and efficient development. Meanwhile, security is the guarantee for development, but the security must be comprehensive security, rather than one-sided and unilateral security; the ways and means of maintaining regional and international security must be through consultation and cooperation, rather than arms race and zero-sum competition. Otherwise, it is difficult to guarantee either development or security.

Third, balance between rights and responsibilities. President Xi Jinping states that we should be in the spirit of equality and inclusiveness, and friendly consultation to build the One Belt and One Road and collectively "discuss", "build", "share" with countries concerned. That is to say, the process for us to go to the world from the region is a process of continuous expansion of benefit and continuous improvement of the system, whether it is the system dividend or the system responsibility that needs to be shared and shouldered by all system members, only in this way, can the system better realize its self-maintenance and self-reinforcement. The more rights are enjoyed, the more responsibilities are shouldered; while enjoying the growing dividend within the system, one must undertake the system responsibilities that become increasingly important.

Fourth, balance between economy and culture. Economic cooperation is an important content of building the One Belt and One Road , but also the important driving force to promote exchanges. However, the cultural exchanges among human are the cornerstone; peoples’ communications are the true interconnection. Economic cooperation and cultural exchanges need to be taken into equal consideration, attention to one to the neglect of the other be avoided. The Maritime Silk Road and the Land Silk Road themselves have a strong character of humanities and long communication traditions, and should make full use of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, explore their cultural connotation, historical tradition and common value through joint research, do a good job of mutual learning between civilizations, and keeping harmony and symbiosis in building the One Belt and One Road, and influence people, inspire people, and win over people from the perspective of value .

Fifth, balance between energy and non-energy. Both the Maritime Silk Road and Land Silk Road go through regions rich in energy resources, in the process of going to the world and enhancing economic cooperation; a balance must be maintained between the cooperation on energy and resources and cooperation in other aspects. Some countries have raised this matter already. The resource strategy by the traditional major powers for their rise in today's world does not work; as a major power, it must have self constraint, otherwise it will not stand morally, and more difficult for it to build a cooperation system.

The One Belt and One Road is the high-level and all-dimensional grand strategy, carrying the overall goal and the lofty mission of comprehensive opening-up, overall development and national rejuvenation, whose pushed process is also the process for China to go from the region to the world, and constantly grow. The process is dynamic, various actors and factors are also constantly changing, only to keep a delicate balance between the key actors and the key factors in the process, can a smooth process be ensured, can the One Belt and One Road construction smoothly march forward.