Six Corridors, Six Means of Communication, Multiple Countries, and Multiple Ports

Abstract

On April 26, 2019, Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the opening ceremony of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that the joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative aims to enhance connectivity and practical cooperation. It is about jointly meeting various challenges and risks confronting mankind and delivering win–win outcomes and common development. Thanks to the joint efforts of all of us involved in this Initiative, a general connectivity framework consisting of six corridors, six connectivity routes, and multiple countries and ports has been put in place. 1 The six corridors refer to the New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor, the China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor, the China–Central Asia–West Asia Economic Corridor, the China–Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor, the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, and the Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar Economic Corridor. The six means of communication are rail, highways, seagoing transport, aviation, pipelines, and aerospace integrated information network, which comprise the main targets of infrastructure connectivity. Multiple countries and multiple ports refer to a number of countries and ports that have joined the Initiative. “Six corridors, six means of communication, multiple countries and multiple ports” covers the two aspects of hard and soft connectivity. “Soft connectivity”, to align the connectivity-related regulations and systems of relevant countries, has been continuously strengthened; and “hard connectivity”, focusing on construction of infrastructure, has been continuously advanced.