Not a new Marshall Plan

China is by no means forming a camp or organizing alliances to confront any other country. Historically, the overland and maritime Silk Roads provided an open platform for international trade. Today, the international community is first of all a community of interests, and the two Silk Road plans serve to strengthen cooperation and promote the common development of the whole community.

Last but not least, there are differences in the implementation of the Chinese and the US plans. The US played a dominant role in executing the Marshall Plan. The Western European countries were passive receivers, and had little say in the implementation of the plan. In this way, the US found new destinations for its surplus capital and production capacity, and the recipient countries spent most of the funds provided by the US buying products and services from the US.

In contrast, the Silk Road plans emphasize negotiation, joint efforts and sharing the fruits of development. Each country can decide whether to participate in these modern Silk Roads, or not. And countries that do participate will be able to make good use of their own advantages for complementary cooperation resulting in mutual benefits.

China would like to share its development dividend accumulated over the past 30 years with the other countries to promote common development, and economic cooperation and human and cultural exchanges are the two main pillars of the Silk Road plans.

All countries benefit from increasing interconnectivity, closer communication, and easier trade and investment. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Silk Road Fund are not intended to, and do not, conflict with the current cooperative mechanisms among these countries.

The misreading of China's Silk Road plans as a Marshall Plan does not stand the test of historical facts and the reality of the modern world. But there are still those trying to distort them and, most likely, smear China's efforts to shoulder its international responsibilities.

The two new Silk Roads belong to the world. Chinese people have traveled along the Silk Road for more than 2,000 years, but never colonized any other nations along the way, in sharp contrast to the infamous records of some civilized Western powers.

The core of the ancient Silk Road and the modern Silk Road plans today are the same: peace, friendship, opening-up and inclusiveness. These values and affiliated practices are the common wealth of human civilization.

The author is a Beijing-based observer of international issues.