ThisaerialphototakenonOct.27,2020showstheconstructionsiteofthesecondphaseofthenorth-southhighwaybuiltbyChinawithintheframeworkoftheBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI)inKyrgyzstan.(ChinaRoad&BridgeCorporation/HandoutviaXinhua)

Bystressinghigh-qualitycooperation,BRI"ssmallandmedium-sizedprojectsoftenhavecontributedtolocalhealth,education,women"sempowerment,etc,KeithBennett,along-termChinaspecialistandvicechairofBritain"s48GroupClubtoldXinhuainarecentinterview.

(资料图)

LONDON,June19(Xinhua)--TheBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI)isnotonlyabouthugeprojects,butalsoaboutsmallandmedium-sizedprojects,whichoftenhavethemostimmediateandidentifiableimpactonpeople"slives,KeithBennett,along-termChinaspecialistandvicechairofBritain"s48GroupClub,hassaid.

Bystressinghigh-qualitycooperation,BRI"ssmallandmedium-sizedprojectsoftenhavecontributedtolocalhealth,education,women"sempowerment,etc,BennetttoldXinhuainarecentinterview.

"Peoplewhoarebroughtoutofpoverty,theyspendmoney,buyproducts,startsmallbusinesses...Povertyalleviationanddevelopmentgohandinhand,"hesaid.

Bennetthasbeenfollowingtheinitiativeeversinceitwasputforward.HetoldXinhuathathehadattendedseveralinternationalconferencesconnectedwiththeBRI,duringwhichhewitnessed"thehugedegreeofinternationalsupportandenthusiasmfortheBRI."DuringCOVID-19pandemic,hehelpedorganizeawebinaronBRIcooperationinSouthAsiancountries.

"Whatwe"veseenisareallyremarkabledevelopmentoftheBRIoverthepasttenyears,"hetoldXinhuainarecentinterview.

InBennett"sview,theinitiativeissoambitious,"it"saboutnothinglessthan...re-drawingthemapoftheworldintermsofcommunicationsconnectivity,traderoutes,supplychains,andsoon."

Henoticedthatoverthree-quartersoftheworld"scountrieshavesigneduptotheBRIinonewayoranother.EvenincountriesthathavenotformallysigneduptotheBRI,thereisstillalotofinterestamongbusinesspeopleandsocialcircles.

"I"msuremanyofthemwillhaveagreaterdegreeofsynergyandintegrationintotheBRIinthefuture,"hesaid.

BennettwasinvitedtovisittheChina-PakistanEconomicCorridor(CPEC)in2017."Forme,thevisittoPakistanwasveryspecial."

"PeopletheresaidthefriendshipishigherthantheHimalayasandsweeterthanhoney,"recalledBennett,deeplyimpressedbythedeep-rootedPakistan-Chinafriendshiphewitnessedduringthattrip.

"IthinkitdoesreflectthesentimentsofPakistanipeoplefrom(notonly)high-levelgovernmentministersandleadingentrepreneurs,butalsothewaitersinhotelsorordinaryworkersonprojects,"hesaid,addingthattheCPECprojects"restsonthisdeepfriendship."

BennettsaidhelearnedfromauniversitydirectorinQuetta,thecapitalofPakistan"sBalochistanprovince,thatChinaisprovidingscholarshipsforstudentsfromBalochistantostudyinChina.

AnOrangeLinemetrotrainpullsintotheterminalstationinLahore,Pakistan,Dec.29,2021.OfficiallyopentotrafficonOct.25,2020,theeco-friendlyOrangeLinemetrotrainisanearlyprojectundertheChina-PakistanEconomicCorridor(CPEC),aflagshipprojectoftheChina-proposedBeltandRoadInitiative.(PhotobyJamilAhmed/Xinhua)

"Thisisanexampleofhowthisbigprojectisgivingamuch-neededsupporttotheintellectualdevelopmentoflocalpeople,whichisastoryyou"llneverseeintheWesternpressunfortunately,"hesaid.

Asalong-timeBRIobserver,BennettacknowledgedthatintheWesttherearesomeignorance,misunderstandingandevendeep-seatedprejudiceagainsttheBRI.Nevertheless,peopleinparticipatingcountriesoftheBRIcanseewiththeirowneyes,andmaketheirownjudgements.

"Nocountrycanfundamentallydevelopinisolation,"saidBennett,addingthatthecentralthemesofBRImetwiththecountries"developmentneeds."Developmentneedscanonlyberealizedifcountriescanbebetterintegratedintotheglobaleconomy,globalsupplychainsandsoon."

Inhisview,byprovidingroads,broadbandconnectivityandotherinfrastructuraldevelopments,theinitiativeismakingacommunitywithasharedfuturepossible.

"If(thevision)ofacommunitywithasharedfutureisthecommonhomeofhumanity,theBeltandRoadInitiativeislikethebricksthatyoubuildthehousewith,"hesaid.

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