By Lai Youwei & Wu An, Research Team on “ Ideas and Policies for Promoting the Belt and Road Economic Corridor”, DRC

Research Report, No.187, 2018 (Total 5462) 2018-11-6

Abstract: The China-Central Asia-Western Asia economic corridor is an important part of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, which is of great strategic significance. In recent years, China and Central and Western Asian countries have made positive progress in policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bond. However, restricted by the national conditions and objective conditions of Central Asian and Western Asian countries, the construction of China-Central Asia-Western Asia economic corridor is difficult to be pushed forward rapidly. We suggest to take long-term and multi-pronged approaches, firmly grasp the key areas and key links in the construction of the China-Central Asia-Western Asia economic corridor, solidly promote the “hardware connectivity” of infrastructure and the “software connectivity” of policy planning standard, and strive to make new breakthroughs in the construction of China-Central Asia-Western Asia economic corridor. It is recommended that China should pay attention to the following tasks: vigorously promote the interconnection of cross-border infrastructure; actively build the economic cooperation mechanism between China and Central and Western Asian countries; and continuously further bilateral cooperation in economy, trade and investment between China and Central and Western Asian countries.

Key words: China-Central Asia-Western Asia Economic Corridor, the Belt and Road Initiative, trade facilitation, interconnection