The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), since it was first proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, has become China's most important external initiative. On the one hand, the "five-connectivity” of policies, infrastructure, trade, finance and people have all witnessed tangible results for both China and participating countries. On the other, internationally there are still misperceptions and misunderstandings of the BRI. To change the situation, improving the BRI narrative is of great importance for people to perceive it appropriately and hence strengthen people-to-people connectivity between China and the rest of the world.

It is well known that language is a very important factor in the social world, not only presenting objective information but also shaping and constructing meanings subjectively. The language chosen such as a name or a label, or rhetorical skills such as a metaphor or an analogy, or the perspectives to frame construct the relevant logic and boundary about the object. The narration, which is how stories are told and how things are described, determines people’s understanding, interpretation and perception.

If the narrative is not appropriate, it is very likely to lead to a wrong understanding. Such a phenomenon is even more common for cross-cultural communication due to differences in history, tradition and even different ways of thinking and acting. For instance, when the BRI was first proposed, the Western world described it as a new Marshall Plan. Such an analogy very naturally causes inaccurate understanding. The spirit of the BRI, the way to implement it, and the means to push it forward are all different from the Marshall Plan. If it is narrated better, people might understand it better.

The BRI is new to the world narrative, so requirements are even higher. For instance, China has emphasized many times that the BRI is not just China’s solo, but a symphony performed by all participating countries. Such language helps people understand better that the success of the BRI needs the joint action of both China and participating countries, which is based on the spirit of mutual consultation, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Therefore, it is of great importance to reflect on how to improve the BRI narrative worldwide.

First, to narrate the spirit of the BRI well. Although it has been more than five years since the BRI was launched, many people around the world still don't understand its real essence. Actually, the Belt and Road is a kind of public good that China provides to the world, which links China’s development with that of other countries. It is a mechanism and platform to promote cooperation between China and the participating countries. When the world faces increasing uncertainty and turbulence, such an initiative is even more important to send a certain message to the world.

The BRI first emphasizes equality. All countries can join in, although with different needs, no matter whether rich or poor, strong or weak. It is based on the willingness of each country and all countries to contribute and benefit from the platform equally. Besides, the BRI emphasizes openness, encouraging partner countries to combine their own comparative advantages, narrow development gaps, accelerate regional integration and achieve common development and prosperity. It means more coverage of Asia and Europe, but also extends to Africa and Latin America.

In this sense, it is also a Chinese way to further the new round of globalization, in particular when the world is faced with the challenge of anti-globalization and de-globalization.

In addition, the BRI sticks to inclusiveness. Countries with different social and political systems, different religions and different civilizations can all join in; different regional and international organizations can join in as well. Regarding cooperation, there is no fixed standard or rules, which can be very diverse, flexible and inclusive.

What’s more, the BRI aims to promote joint development. China has been committed to development in the past four decades, successfully lifting over 700 million people out of poverty, and has accumulated good experience in this regard. Other countries and regions may benefit from the gains of China’s development through cooperation with China under the framework of the BRI. If the BRI can help promote the development of underdeveloped and developing countries and lift them to middle-income economies, the total development landscape of the world will change. This will be the achievement that the current round of globalization couldn’t attain.

Second, narrate well the tangible benefits that the BRI can bring to common people wordwide. People-to-people connectivity relies on common people and the general perception of the BRI can also be shaped by common people. Under the framework of the BRI, many different programs and projects have been launched. For instance, in 2016, Chinese Ministry of Culture released the Action Plan for 2016-2020 on B&R Culture Development, making efforts to establish mechanisms on cultural exchanges between China and BRI partner countries.

What are the results and influence of such mechanisms and efforts? They are the stories which should be told well and known well by the public. For instance, five scholars from Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania, were sponsored by the One Belt and One Road Foreign Experts Program of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs and they each spent a month in Beijing hosted by China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU). Before they left China, they said that they had learned much about China and had become China fans. The CFAU community also learned a lot from them about Lithuania. What should be narrated well are the real and tangible benefits and influence that the BRI has brought to both common people in China and those in partner countries.

Third, to narrate well, the BRI needs the training of personnel with high foreign language proficiency. Due to the limited number of foreigners who can communicate in Chinese, the success of BRI narrative most of the time has to rely on communication through foreign languages, for instance, English. High proficiency in a foreign language not only means daily communication but also the mastery of the narrative skills in a foreign language. It means effective communication on the world stage regarding agenda setting, rule-making and idea inspiring. Such high proficiency is needed not only at the government but also at the media and academic levels. High proficiency means the understanding of the culture behind the foreign language.

The BRI involves tremendous cross-cultural activities, and cultural awareness and sensitivity are a must for effective communication. High proficiency also means more basic knowledge about different professional fields, as the BRI covers a wide range of professional fields such as finance, trade, energy, the environment and transportation.

The BRI has become a very important discourse regarding China and has attracted increasing attention from the world. Improving the narrative and telling stories better will help reduce doubts and questions about the BRI and present a better picture to the world, which is of great significance for not only the well-being of the Chinese but also the rest of the world.

Sun Jisheng is professor and vice-president of China Foreign Affairs University.

The author contributed this article to China Watch exclusively. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of China Watch.

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