乐：五年来的实践表明，“一带一路”倡议在国际上是很受欢迎的。去年5月，我们举行了首届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛，140 多个国家和80多个国际组织嘉宾与会，其中包括29个国家领导人，盛况空前。

　　欧洲是共建“一带一路”的重要合作伙伴，8位欧洲国家领导人以及英、法、德、欧盟领导人代表参加了峰会。我们没有听说哪个欧洲国家反对该倡议。法国总统马克龙今年1月访华时，对“一带一路”表达了热情支持。英国首相特使、财政部长哈蒙德去年出席论坛时，表示英国是“一带一路”的天然伙伴。还有人说，“一带一路”架起了中欧合作的桥梁，而不是垒起了高墙。

Le Yucheng: The implementation of the BRI in the past five years shows how it has caught on internationally. We held the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May last year, which attracted unprecedented representation of over 140 countries and 80 international organizations, including leaders from 29 countries.

Europe is an important partner for the BRI. Eight leaders of European countries and representatives from the UK, France, Germany and the EU attended last year’s Belt and Road Forum. So far, we haven't heard any single European leader opposing the BRI. French President Macron expressed his support and interest during his visit to China last January. Philip Hammond, Special Envoy for the British Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, described the UK as a natural partner for the BRI when addressing last year’s forum. Others have said that the BRI is a bridge for China-Europe cooperation, not a high wall.

　　中欧双方在今年7月第20次领导人会晤期间同意加强“一带一路”同欧洲投资计划、泛欧交通网等发展规划的对接。英国还成立了“一带一路”专家理事会。亚洲基础设施投资银行与“一带一路”紧密相关，英、法、德等25个欧洲国家加入了该机构。刚刚结束的中非合作论坛北京峰会迎来了51位非洲国家领导人，包括40位总统，10位总理，1位副总统，他们对“一带一路”倡议予以高度评价。迄今，有37个非洲国家同中方签署了“一带一路”合作协议或备忘录，使得同中国签署“一带一路”合作文件的国家和组织达到130 多个。

　　许多国家都把“一带一路”看成机遇，看成同中方加强合作的重要平台，包括拉美国家。“一带一路”倡议起初没打算延伸到拉美，但他们说，我们国家发掘出了很多中国瓷器，也应该算“一带一路”沿线国家。这表明，大家都想成为“一带一路”合作伙伴。

During the 20th China-EU Summit last July, the two sides agreed to create greater synergy between the BRI and EU’s development initiatives, including the Investment Plan for Europe and the Trans-European Transport Networks. The UK has set up a City Expert Board for BRI cooperation. Twenty-five European countries, including the UK, France and Germany, have joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which has close ties with the BRI.

The just concluded Beijing Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was attended by 51 African leaders, including 40 presidents, 10 prime ministers, and one vice president. They all spoke highly of the BRI. Up to date, 37 African countries have signed agreements or MOUs with China on BRI cooperation, taking the total number to over 130.

Many countries see the BRI as an opportunity and a platform for closer cooperation with China, including Latin American countries. Originally, the BRI did not extend to Latin America. But they say Chinese porcelain was discovered there, showing that they are also part of the BRI. This speaks to the interest of many to be partners of the BRI.

　　“一带一路”倡议如此受欢迎，是我们提出之初没有想到的。我跟你讲个故事，就是哈萨克斯坦总统纳扎尔巴耶夫去年出席论坛时，见到论坛盛况就问中国领导人，当初中方提出该倡议时，想到会有如此的盛况和影响力了吗？中国领导人回答，既想到也没想到，想到的是这项倡议符合中国的发展阶段和世界潮流，也是世界人民的愿望。没想到的是，大家对“一带一路”这么热情地支持。中国领导人的回答真切地表明，“一带一路” 倡议的影响力在不断扩大。

　　吉：我们从一些国家听到的批评或者说提出的问题就是债务。中方提供贷款，使一些国家债务水平过高，无法维持，也无法偿还。最常提及的就是斯里兰卡。有人说，斯里兰卡政府债务负担过于沉重，无力偿还，不得不把有关港口移交给中国。中国有什么计划确保这些国家的政府能够偿还债务？

The BRI has been warmly welcomed to an extent that has far exceeded our expectations. Let me share with you an anecdote. When President Nazarbayev was in Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum and saw the level of attendance, he asked the Chinese leader if China had ever expected such strong attraction and impact of the BRI when it was first announced. The Chinese leader said, yes and no. Yes, because the BRI is in line with China's development stage and responds to the trend of the times as well as the aspirations of people across the world. But what we didn’t expect is this overwhelming support. That answer really shows how the BRI has caught on.

Jamil Anderlini: One criticism we've heard from some countries. One thing that people have raised in some areas is the idea of debt. The idea that many of the loans or the investments involved loans from China to these countries may make these countries take on too much debt and they won't be able to fund them, or they won't be able to repay these loans. And one example we hear a lot is the example of Sri Lanka, which seems to borrow too much and is not able to repay and then had to hand over the Hambantota port. What’s China's plan to make sure that these governments can pay back the loans that are involved?