Opinion | China's significant contribution to the global economy: Former Serbian president hails its role in tackling economic downturn
By Augustus K. Yeung
If you think initiating, launching and building along the Belt and Road is a real challenge, you are in for a big surprise. The fact is, understanding of, sympathizing with, and directing credit to whom great achievement is due – has turned out to be far more challenging. Why?
The world's three forward political leaders have spoken out for China, whose significant contribution through the BRI has greatly impressed them. They have come to think that global citizens, especially Europeans, are burdened by prejudices.
There was Ardern, former prime minister of New Zealand, Macron, president of France, and Tadic, former president of Serbia. Where are they now? Two of them are "deposed". Only Macron is left kicking in the EU, and accepting Xi Jinping's joint visit to Guangdong, southern China.
Why did these leaders leave the world stage when they were doing well with China, or speaking the truth?
There is a specter of fear clouding over the Western world against China, a red Sun rising in the East, vowing to fertilize the good Earth by wrestling the ill and chill of poverty down to the ground.
It is not that the U.S. loves humanity less, but that it fears the "threats" of China more. Few people are fully aware of Washington's propagandas against China, for fear of stealing its hegemonic leadership – which is turning off the Global South, resulting in the recent unprecedented BRICS expansion.
To come back to Boris Tadic, former Serbian president, who has refused to be silent. He is now hailing China's role in tackling economic downturn…
Europe should overcome its "prejudices against the Belt and Road Initiative", as the China-proposed vision has a positive role to play in tackling the dire economic challenges facing the continent, including simmering inflation, said Boris Tadic.
(Note: Tadic, who served as Serbia's head of state from 2004 to 2012, said that "the BRI helps to spur trade and economic cooperation", which plays a useful role in tackling inflation, something that remains very grave in Western economies.)
A recent Reuters report noted that although inflation in the eurozone has halved from the 10.6 percent peak it reached in October, prices are still rising…
"I'm sure that the BRI didn't trigger inflation in Europe. This is for sure," said Tadic sarcastically, in an interview with China Daily.
Tadic warned that if economies in the EU continue to face problems such as inflation and the impact of the Ukraine crisis, then "small countries like Serbia and western Balkan countries are going to pay an extremely high price."
"This is something that is happening in history, which is very, very awful," he said. "This is why I think that we have to take into consideration seriously – the benefits coming from the BRI in terms of decreasing inflation nowadays."
Currently, China and the EU are each other's second-largest trading partner, and their bilateral trade reached an all-time high of $847.3 billion last year, registering a year-on-year increase of 2.4 percent.
The former Serbian head of state also highlighted the BRI's role in helping both China and Europe cope with turbulence in the global economy.
"We are living in a very difficult time in the history of mankind. A lot of challenges are stalking every country, and a lot of problems are coming in our lives." Tadic observed. "And this is why I think that we have to work more on empathy and solidarity, and the sharing economy."
Tadic said that over the past decade since the BRI was proposed by President Xi Jinping, it has proved to be a "game changer in the global arena" that has strengthened the cause of multilateralism and improved the overall situation for participating countries. He added that the BRI "is a really significant contributor to connectivity and peaceful solutions."
Boris Tadic said that the criticism of the BRI from some European politicians and scholars was based on a prejudiced and stereotyped viewpoint.
"I think that we have to escape from the prejudices, from the stereotypes…" stressed Tadic, adding that those who harbor such views about the BRI are demonstrating their failure to adapt to new circumstances. "In the history of mankind, new initiatives create new circumstances. Not everyone is able to accommodate himself to the new circumstances." Remarked Tadic philosophically.
"When we are going to have a game changer in some markets, then countries, especially Western countries, the most developed countries, have to accommodate to the new situation," he said. Tadic also highlighted the connection between Europe and China, which "is going to be mutually beneficial for both sides."
Speaking on the BRI's essence, Tadic said it is in nature about "the very fast development of China, and the contribution of China and the Chinese economy to the global economy".
Hailing China's rapid development in recent decades, the former Serbian President noted that the country lifted almost 800 million people from poverty.
He pointed out that, without the significant contribution made by the Chinese economy, the world would be in a "much more difficult situation, given the economic crises in 2008 and 2012", and noted that China was a "driving force" in overcoming such crises. (Source: China Daily)
These words of wisdom would help the Europeans to better cope with or adapt to the ever-demanding situation so created by the Ukraine conflict. Even the U.S. House Republicans are beginning to feel the pinch and start to fight against President Biden's huge budget – in support of Ukraine's war efforts.
The timing is good now. For Boris Tadic, with or without Washington giving the EU the green light, Western leaders with an adamant sense of history and humanity in mind should not be "prejudiced" against the BRI.
Whether or not in office or on the teaching circuits, Tadic and Ardern continue to share their experience-based wisdom with global citizens on China's ever-important role of BRI.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
To contact the writer, please direct email: AugustusKYeung@ymail.com
Read more articles by Augustus K. Yeung:
Opinion | China's new high-speed rail seeks to boost ASEAN trade: Consider the case of Vietnam
Opinion | In just 10 years, China's BRI cooperation delivers fruitful results
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