Along the Belt and Road.docVIP

Along the Belt and Road 　　Making better use of domestic and overseas markets and resources. Becoming more dynamic and influential in the world economy. These purposes underlie Chinas One Belt， One Road initiative， which links China and Europe via Asia and Africa， both on land and by sea， as Peking University National School of Development professor Justin Yifu Lin explains in his commentary in this issue of NewsChina （page 72）. 　　The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank （AIIB） officially launched on December 25， 2015. On that day， 17 founding members， who hold more than half of the banks shares， ratified the Articles of Agreement of the AIIB， which was signed on June 29 by 57 founding members， including some developed countries. The AIIB， as a Chinese initiative with China as the largest shareholder， has been regarded as a good beginning for the One Belt， One Road initiative and a diplomatic success for China in 2015. 　　High risks come with high returns. It is Chinese companies that will take on the risks in their daily operations， meaning not only normal business risks， but also political and social risks in a still underdeveloped market. The One Belt， One Road market is challenging even for Western multinationals that have abundant experience in managing a global presence. What preparations should Chinese companies and government officials undertake to explore this untapped potential as new players in the international arena？ 　　Wei Jianguo， executive deputy director of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges and former deputy minister of commerce， and Yuan Dongming， a research fellow with the Development Research Center of the State Council， share their thoughts with NewsChina on the One Belt， One Road initiative. 　　NewsChina： Terrorism is a threat to countries along the Belt and Road. Do you think this is an impediment for Chinese companies planning to expand there？ 　　Wei Jianguo： I dont think Chinese companies should be deterred from entering