2013年9月，我作为中国驻哈萨克斯坦大使，有幸见证了习近平主席在哈萨克斯坦纳扎尔巴耶夫大学演讲时，第一次提出“一带一路”倡议，也就是建立“丝绸之路经济带”。习主席演讲结束后，纳扎尔巴耶夫总统明确支持并高度评价，这是“一带一路”倡议最早获得的国际支持。

　　为什么习主席选择哈萨克斯坦宣布这个倡议呢？首先，哈萨克斯坦是中亚大国，中亚经历了苏联解体后的动荡和战乱，2013年时已经稳定，人民迫切渴望发展经济和开展对外合作。其次，中亚也是中国通向中东、非洲乃至欧洲的陆上必经之路。从上述背景看，最初提出“一带一路”倡议就是为了推进经济合作和互联互通。

In September 2013, President Xi Jinping first proposed the BRI, the “Silk Road Economic Belt”, during his speech at the Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. I was there as the Chinese Ambassador. After the speech, President Nazarbayev expressed his clear support and applauded the proposal. That was the earliest international support that the BRI has received.

Why did President Xi choose to announce this initiative in Kazakhstan? First of all, Kazakhstan is a major country in central Asia. After all the turbulence and conflicts following the breakup of the former Soviet Union, stability has taken hold in Central Asia in 2013 and people there longed for development and cooperation. Secondly, central Asia is the land route linking China to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Such a backdrop shows that the BRI was proposed for economic cooperation and connectivity.

　　“一带一路”倡议与马歇尔计划的另一个区别，就是马歇尔计划有一个分界线，主要针对西欧国家，排斥苏联东欧阵营，但“一带一路”坚持共商共建共享，大家一起干。这符合中国和平发展、合作共赢的外交政策，也是推动构建人类命运共同体重要尝试或平台。当今世界，保护主义、单边主义、霸凌主义不断抬头，反全球化势力活跃。我们提出“一带一路”倡议，旨在聚合各方力量，开展国际合作。这在当前形势下具有特殊重要意义，也为推动建设公正平等的国际新秩序和完善全球治理体系变革，提供了有益的启示和探索。

　　吉：您觉得现阶段“一带一路”倡议总体来说究竟是加强还是削弱了中国的软实力和全球影响力？

Another feature sets the BRI apart from the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan drew a clear line at Western European countries and not including the former Soviet Union and those in Eastern Europe. But the BRI follows the principle of consultation, cooperation and benefits for all, featuring broad participation. This is determined by China’s foreign policy characterized by peaceful development and win-win cooperation, and means to provide a platform to explore the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In today's world, we see a trend of rising protectionism, unilateralism, bullying and anti-globalization. We hope to pool strengths for closer international cooperation through the BRI. It is highly relevant given the current international landscape, and represents a useful effort in building a more fair and equitable new international order and in the reform of the global governance structure.

Jamil Anderlini: Thinking about this idea of soft power and China's influence of power around the world. Do you think the Belt and Road is on balance enhancing China's soft power or hurting China's soft power right now?