OBOR-Heard in Beijing

Quotes and Quotas is a weekly digest of phrases and facts that help explain Asia’s infrastructure push.

Here’s what world leaders had to say about China’s “Belt & Road” initiative at the Belt and Road Economic Forum in Beijing.

“Establishment of a system that is coherent in the spheres of politics and economy will pave the way for a new era in the region based on stability and prosperity.”

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey

“The Belt and Road Initiative has immense potential. Running through Asia, Europe and Africa, it is far-reaching in geography and ambition.”

— António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General

“This initiative is truly ground-breaking in the scale of its ambition, spanning more than sixty-five countries across four continents, and it has the potential to raise the living standards of 70 percent of the global population.”

— Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, United Kingdom

“What we hope to create is a big family of harmonious co-existence.”

— Xi Jinping, President of China

“China is at one end of the ‘Belt and Road’ – Europe is at the other. Done the right way, more investment in cross-border links could unleash huge growth potential with benefits for us all.”

— Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President of the European Commission

“The Belt and Road Initiative has potential to lower trade costs, increase competitiveness, improve infrastructure, and provide greater connectivity for Asia and its neighboring regions. But realizing the promise of this Initiative will require appropriate policies, institutions, and services…”

— Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group

“The Belt and Road Initiative…is about connecting cultures, communities, economies, and people. It is about rejuvenating ancient trade routes and building new ones. It is also about adding new economic flavors by creating infrastructure projects that are based on 21st-century expertise and governance standards.”

— Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund

“If we look at the bigger picture, the infrastructure projects within the EAEU and the One Belt, One Road initiative in conjunction with the Northeast Passage can completely reconfigure transportation on the Eurasian continent, which is the key to exploring new territory and intensifying economic and investment activity. Let us pave these roads to development and prosperity together.”

— Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

“We do not see OBOR merely as a modern revival of the ancient silk road, but rather we view it as a conscious humanistic endeavor to take human kind to a higher level of prosperity, peace, and stability through connectivity and close contact.”

— Nawaz Sharif , President of Pakistan

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