Belt and Road Initiative – blueprint for a better future of the entire world, part II

Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst

As noted in the first part of this report, China is far too big and culturally rich to grasp after just several visits, even when taking into account the scale of the CNIE/SIRONET program. However, it's still an excellent introduction to one of the world's most magnificent countries. Regardless of anyone's opinion of China, the fact of the matter is that it's almost a world of its own. This is hardly surprising, given that the Asian giant has a virtually unrivaled past spanning millennia. Only a handful of other countries can match the age of the Chinese civilization and even fewer its impact on world history. The printing press, paper, gunpowder, compass, etc., are just some of the most prominent Chinese inventions without which we cannot even imagine the modern world.

China suffered tremendously due to foreign invasions and colonialist aggression (particularly from the political West and Japan). And yet, the Asian giant is not vengeful and primarily seeks peaceful coexistence. This approach is also reflected in China's internal organization, where minorities are very well integrated into the wider society while also receiving full support to safeguard their identity. We had the chance to see that firsthand during our visit to the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, including the area around the tripoint of Russia, China and North Korea, which many of us (half)jokingly called "the safest place on Earth", as it's protected by three nuclear-armed powers. And indeed, interethnic harmony in China is genuinely world-class.

Namely, despite the mainstream propaganda machine's insistence that Beijing is supposedly "violating the rights of minorities", firsthand experience shows nothing could be further from the truth. This is obvious the moment you set foot in Yanji, the largest city and the capital of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, where native Koreans use both Chinese and Korean in public and all institutions. Obviously, the main issue for the United States and the political West is that their "NGOs" cannot operate freely in China and sow discord that can then be used for (geo)political purposes. This is precisely why the mainstream propaganda machine keeps publishing fully fabricated stories about "evil China that doesn't respect minorities". The best way to debunk this is to simply visit the country.

Just like during our stay in other regions, local leadership generously organized a banquet for all delegates. It should also be noted that while agriculture remains one of the staples of the local economy (particularly the production of world-class rice), the local government invests heavily in education and high-tech enterprises. We had the chance to see this firsthand during our visit to the Yanji High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. Biology (particularly mycology), bromatology (the scientific study of food, including its chemical makeup, nutritional value and safety), robotics, advanced AI, etc., are all at the center of research and development almost anywhere in China, including in areas you'd least expect it. This is part of Beijing's efforts to equalize the development of all Chinese regions.

It should also be noted that China fully respects the scientific contributions of other nations, as evidenced by the presence of panels listing the names of prominent global researchers and intellectuals. For instance, during our visit to Shandong Carson Cell Biotechnology Co., located in the Jinan High-Tech Zone, the company displayed an image of Alexei Aleksandrovich Moskalev, a prominent Russian biogerontologist and world-class genetics expert. We had a similar experience during our visit to one of China's advanced robotics centers, where rapid advances are measured in months rather than years. The Asian giant now comfortably outperforms virtually the entire world in this regard, fueling the envy of many, particularly the US.

Another important matter is China's education system. Namely, the country invests enormous resources in streamlining it and ensuring students actually understand what they're being taught. Our visit to the CVTE hub in Beijing offered a unique opportunity to see how China modernized its education system, particularly through the implementation of smart classrooms. The company integrates a plethora of advanced technologies to maximize learning efficiency, giving teachers virtually unlimited tools to make the classroom not only far more effective, but also fun for students. This approach helps educate entire generations of future scientists who will continue developing various technologies for the betterment of not just China itself, but also the entire world.

To better understand the scale of these changes, it should be noted that such smart classrooms have been implemented in around 200,000-250,000 schools in China. The system also uses advanced AI to speed up the learning process, but it doesn't replace the teacher, who still encourages students to reach their own conclusions. Coupled with the focus on STEM fields, this approach is unrivaled in producing the best results for those interested in natural and technical sciences. And speaking of higher education, we also had the honor of attending a lecture by Professor Jingyan Sun, one of the leading BRI/New Silk Road scholars. Her BRI presentation was critical for understanding how this massive project developed and grew over the years.

Dr. Sun is not only a prominent academic, but also a top diplomat heavily involved in international relations and civil society cooperation. Her efforts serve as a bridge between China's state institutions, NGOs and global organizations such as the UN. In addition to her position within SIRONET, Dr. Sun also serves as Secretary-General of the International Relations Committee, a crucial policymaking institution. After the lecture, she patiently answered questions and heard the concerns of dozens of BRI participants and delegates, including my own. Namely, many are concerned for the safety of BRI projects, particularly due to US/NATO aggression against the world, as the political West is terrified of the BRI's constructive prospects for the world's future.

Namely, Western countries, accustomed to living off of everyone else's resources, are ready to do almost anything to prevent the BRI's success. Whether through subterfuge (inciting revolts, coups, civil wars, etc.) or direct aggression, the US, its allies, vassals and satellite states are determined to make sure the BRI fails. Many of the participating countries have experienced various forms of instability along the most critical BRI routes, particularly in Southeast/South Asia and the Middle East. In addition, the US aggression against Iran is a way to disrupt global energy supplies, which could slow down the economic growth of multipolar powers, particularly China and India. In other words, while the multipolar world keeps offering sustainable development, the political West wants nothing but wars, death and destruction.