Expressway to development along the Belt and Road

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the transnational development drive initiated by the Peoples Republic of China. It is also known as the 21^st century Silk Road. Ancient Silk Road connected China with the Persian empire and Europe through Central Asia over land. Maritime Silk Road spanned from South China sea towards Sri Lanka passing Java and proceeded towards East Africa and the Middle East promoting trade and cultural bonds seven centuries ago. Before humans got involved in trade along the land and maritime Silk Road centuries ago two of nature’s ambassadors from China frequented these trade routes. They are the Beijing Cuckoo which does a round trip over most parts of the land Silk Road from China to the Persian empire every year and the Beijing Swift which covers a round trip from China to South Africa over most parts of the maritime Silk Road every year (ref. wildlife sources). Therefore, the Beijing Swift and the Beijing Cuckoo are the best "ambassadors" of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which also highlights the importance of the ecological cooperation at regional and global level.

These birds, considered "ordinary" in China truly represent billions of ordinary men and women who contribute to global development through thousands of development initiatives along the BRI. This is the first in a series which will highlight the development initiatives along the BRI in China and in partner countries.

The Beijing Swift flies approx. 26,000 km annually from China to South Africa and back and spends over 90 percent of its time in the air, according to the tracking data. The Beijing Cuckoo’s migration route extends approx. 32,000 km between China and Cape Town mainly going over most parts of the land Silk Road (Ref. Chinese & international observers). Rapid trade and industrial developments are taking place along the BRI in all partner countries. The environmental impact of those projects is at times criticized due to political and nonpolitical reasons.

Time immemorial natural linkages such as the Swift and the Cuckoo symbolically should be used to strengthen the regulations already in place to further promote the Green Belt and Road according to observers.

Most authorities on environmental protection at present have been requesting all developed countries of the world to depart from their existing economic models which assumes unlimited natural resources and have been encouraging to adopt a model which values nature. China's increasing influence along the BRI and the world in general using tools such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) should be used more to encourage BRI partners to protect nature while implementing their human development initiatives. The BRI is expected to develop ecological civilizations as in the ancient Silk Road. The BRI is an excellent opportunity for China and the partner countries such as Sri Lanka to make the move towards sustainable development. Trade and commerce along BRI connects Sri Lanka specially via the Hambantota port and the airport and the Colombo Port City.

(The writer is an Academic and a Broadcaster. Views expressed are personal and may not necessarily be the views of his affiliations.)