The Chinese Economic Association (Europe/UK) Annual Conference 2016

In recent years, China has quickly developed into a new engine for global economic growth and has become a new ascendant power in the international system. In order to uphold its development and growth momentum, the Chinese government has taken bold moves to deepen economic reforms and further integrate the country into the global division of labour. In autumn, 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping successively proposed the initiatives of the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” that are known as the “One Belt, One Road” Initiative. In 2015, with the release of the “Vision and Actions on Jointly Building ‘One Belt, One Road’”, the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the setting up of the Silk Road Fund, the “One Belt, One Road” Initiative has moved on to the stage of implementation. Furthermore, the EU and Chinese leaders issued joint statements to develop synergies between EU policies, especially the € 315 billion EU Commission Investment Plan (also known as the Juncker Plan), and China’s “One Belt, One Road” Initiative. Given the resources made available for the “One Belt, One Road” Initiative, the latter will undoubtedly have a decisive impact on the structure and future development of global economic interaction. What does the Initiative mean to the development of the involved countries and regions? What does it mean to the international order and relations between China and the world? These are just some of the questions brought forward by politicians, business leaders, and academic researchers worldwide.