The Great Silk Road — symbol of unification of the East and the West — makes a stop in Minsk
Belarus becomes more and more attractive for the Chinese in all areas of co-operation
Recently, Minsk’s Hotel Beijing, while this is another symbol, held a formal opening of the Belarusian stage of the New Silk Road — New Dream press-tour. It was organised by journalists from the Xinhua News Agency (the People’s Republic of China). The press-tour started in the ancient capital of China, the city of Xi’an, and passes through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany.
... Just one month ago, in an interview with our newspaper, the Chair for Foreign Affairs Committee under the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Fu Ying told us what place Belarus has in the strategic concept of China about the joint formation of an economic belt of the Silk Road. Despite the antiquity of the name, it is an absolutely new, I would even say, modern project. After all it modernises the economic relations of the countries lying along its way — 18 states of Eurasia, with a population of 3 billion people.
And here, Belarusian land accepted the special mission of the largest news agency of the People’s Republic of China — 30 journalists — which are going to popularise the project.
The Xinhua correspondent, Jung Jung, told me that earlier, Belarus always remained in the shadow of Russia for the Chinese, while now, it is in the foreground. Why, I ask. Because you are closer to the European Union, was the answer. With enthusiasm, my interlocutor tells that with the countries located on this route, from China to Germany, there will be formed one huge economic zone with regular ties in the spheres of policy, communication, trading-currency movement, human contacts... Not casually do journalists called this tour the ‘New Dream’. It really is a dream. After all, more than one generation of Europeans dreamt about such co-operation without borders. Well, if we are not able to do it ourselves, then maybe the Chinese will help us. “It is the plan of the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping,” Jung tells with pride.
Another colleague, Jang Ran, adds that human contacts attract her, “I am only one day in Minsk, and during the whole day I am speaking about Belarus...”
In spite of the fact that our country is connected with China by an old and all-round strategic partnership, life forges ahead. There are new projects, and it is important for us to keep with this New Silk Road, which opens new possibilities. One of the first steps on this way has been made in Beijing which is in the centre of Minsk.
