It has been six years since President Xi launched the Belt & Road Initiative on a visit to Kazakhstan, and the plan to rebuild the ancient Silk Road connecting China and Europe has become his signature foreign policy.

The Initiative itself defines five major priorities: 

• Policy coordination (promotion of intergovernmental cooperation, multi-level intergovernmental macro policy exchange and communication mechanism)
• Infrastructure connectivity (improvement of connectivity of infrastructure construction plans and technical standards systems)
• Unimpeded trade (reduction of investment and trade barriers, promotion of regional economic integration)
• Financial integration (coordination and cooperation in monetary policy, set-up of financing institutions)
• Connecting people (cultural and academic exchange and dialogue, media cooperation)