Any mutual activity between countries and regions has to find a footing in one or more cities, whether it is trade of goods and services, mutual investment, personnel exchanges or interaction in science, technology, education, culture and other fields. Accordingly, countries and regions along the Belt and Road (B&R) cannot engage in cooperation until they have secured a foothold in cities. These remarks were made by Ni Pengfei, Researcher and Assistant Director at the National Academy of Economic Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in an article published in the financial section of ifeng.com on May 23.
With regards to ways for improving the network of cities along the Silk Road and implementing the B&R initiative, Ni Pengfei made a proposal in the following three points:
1. Networked Expansion: Building a Belt of Cities on the Eurasia-Africa Delta
The researcher proposed selecting B&R cities that play a prominent role in global connectivity as hubs for high-speed rails, airways and sea transport routes. In addition, the idea is to link the infrastructure in different dimensions into a network, so that cities of different natures, types and sizes along the route can be effectively integrated into a large network. Furthermore, the network of cities should be developed into a gigantic triangular economic delta, featuring Europe and Africa along with East and South Asian regions.
2. Belt-Based Expansion: Expediting Integration along the B&R Route
It is proposed that the construction of multiple land and sea routes is promoted in an orderly manner. At the same time, the idea is to extend the belt of networked cities in East Asia and Europe towards the inlands, so as to curb constraints faced by the closed-end inland Eurasian regions and lower the risk of a possible Central Asian downturn. Furthermore, Ni Pengfei proposed speeding up the interconnection of facilities and infrastructures; eliminating institutional and trade barriers in free movement of goods, services and production factors; and promoting the integration of areas along the B&R route.
3. Multi-Pivot Support: Achieving Balanced Development in Clusters
The researcher further emphasized the role of cities and the networks they have formed in guiding the growth of other regions and in linking them. The idea is to improve the density of urban clusters in prioritized developing regions and emerging economies along the B&R route, while promoting the development of interconnected infrastructure. In addition, the proposal talks about expanding the coverage of benefits brought along by the growing economic density and breaking new ground for the B&R development in a coordinated and balanced manner with multiple pivots to provide support.
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