“一带一路”如此快速发展、聚敛人气，最重要的原因在于它聚焦发展这个根本性问题。中国人深谙发展是解决一切问题的总钥匙。我们尝过“要致富，先修路”的甜头，愿从自身经验出发，帮助各国改善基础设施、增进互联互通。当然，有路要有车跑，港口要有船靠，光有基础设施还不够，还要有经济活动的支撑。因此我们在基建联通基础上致力于提振贸易投资、改善民生、增加就业、促进稳定。为突破投融资瓶颈，我们设立了亚洲基础设施投资银行、丝路基金等，同世界银行等合作互补，以填补资金缺口。“硬联通”的发展还需要“软联通”来维系，为使“一带一路”更富韧性，我们积极促进各国发展战略对接和民意相亲。

The key to BRI's success and popularity is that it focuses on addressing the development issue. The Chinese know too well that development holds the master key to all problems. As the Chinese saying goes, building the road is the first step to become prosperous. Therefore, learning from our own experience, we are ready to help others improve infrastructure and connectivity.

Naturally, there is no sense in building roads where there is no traffic. Indeed, once roads, bridges, ports, railways, electricity, and the like are in place, new waves of commerce shall follow. So, in addition to being a massive infrastructure project, the BRI is a force for development that will boost trade and investment with our partners, create more job opportunities for local citizens, and improve stability and quality of life.

Since financial bottleneck often proves to be a major challenge, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund have been established to complement organizations such as the World Bank and help narrow the funding gap.

Furthermore, Belt and Road countries have enhanced the coordination of development strategies and people-to-people amity, because hardware connectivity alone, short of software connectivity, is inadequate to ensure the resilience of the BRI.

　　有人说，“一带一路”必定有什么战略意图。如果非要这么说的话，那么从其追求“五通”看，意图就是推动构建人类命运共同体。“一带一路”开放、包容、透明。我们决不靠“一带一路”搞地缘政治的一套，从不拉“小圈子”，也不排斥谁或强拉谁。

Critics say that the BRI must have an underlying strategic aim or agenda. If so, then building a community with a shared future for mankind is the agenda, as first and foremost, the BRI aims to promote connectivity. The BRI is open, inclusive and transparent. It is not a geopolitical tool, nor is it designed to form an exclusive clique or impose any terms on others.

　　我们也听到一些人渲染“债务陷阱”，这是无稽之谈。很多参与并受益于“一带一路”倡议的沿线国家已经站出来用事实和数据公开辟谣。菲律宾财政部长多明格斯公开表示，截至去年底中方债务仅占菲总债务的0.65%。斯里兰卡驻华大使科迪图瓦库也批驳了所谓中国“债务陷阱外交”的说法。“一带一路”合作框架下的项目选择及投融资合作，都是各方共同商量并进行风险评估和投资可行性分析后，慎重作出的决策。事实上到目前为止，没有一个国家因为参与共建“一带一路”而陷入债务危机，相反，很多国家通过参与“一带一路”合作走出了“欠发达的陷阱”、“不发展的陷阱”，比如肯尼亚。肯铁路局代理局长说，肯经济和民众都从中国帮助该国扩建升级交通基础设施中受益。

Some people have errantly characterized the BRI as a potential debt trap. But countries who have participated in and benefited from the BRI have debunked such assertions. Finance Secretary of the Philippines Carlos Dominguez publicly stated that debts owed to China accounts for only 0.65% of the country's total debt. And Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku, Sri Lanka's ambassador to Beijing, dismissed the idea of "debt-trap diplomacy."

Decisions made through the BRI framework, from project selection to investment and financing cooperation, are all based on full consultation between all parties involved, and backed by arduous risk assessment and investment feasibility studies. As a matter of fact, no country has become trapped in a debt crisis since its participation in the BRI. Quite the contrary, it is through participating in BRI cooperation that many countries have emerged from the trap of underdevelopment or no development. Consider the example of Kenya: Philip Mainga, acting managing director of Kenya Railways Corporation, said that the Kenyan economy and citizens have benefited from China's contribution to the expansion and upgrading of transport infrastructure in the country.