HSK 7–9 · Article · 403 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-the-belt-and-road-initiative

“一带一路”到底是什么？

What is China’s Belt and Road Initiative?

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“一带一路yídài-yílù”是shì“丝绸之路sīchóu-zhīlù经济带jīngjìdài”和hé“二十一èrshíyī世纪shìjì海上丝绸之路hǎishàngsīchóuzhīlù”的de简称jiǎnchēng。二〇一三年èrlíngyīsānnián秋天qiūtiān，中国zhōngguó国家主席guójiā-zhǔxí习近平xíjìnpíng先后xiānhòu在zài哈萨克斯坦hāsàkèsītǎn和hé印度尼西亚yìndùníxīyà提出tíchū了le这zhè两liǎng个gè倡议chàngyì。名字míngzi借用jièyòng了le古代gǔdài的de丝绸之路sīchóu-zhīlù：从cóng两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián前qián起qǐ，商人shāngrén们men就jiù沿着yánzhe这zhè条tiáo路lù，把bǎ中国zhōngguó的de丝绸sīchóu，后来hòulái还有háiyǒu茶叶cháyè，运往yùnwǎng中亚zhōngyà和hé欧洲ōuzhōu。

今天jīntiān的de“一带一路yídài-yílù”，核心héxīn是shì基础设施jīchǔ-shèshī和hé贸易màoyì：修xiū铁路tiělù、建jiàn港口gángkǒu、盖gài电站diànzhàn，再zài加上jiāshàng投资tóuzī和hé贷款dàikuǎn。据jù中国zhōngguó官方guānfāng统计tǒngjì，已yǐ有yǒu一百五十多yìbáiwǔshíduō个gè国家guójiā与yǔ中国zhōngguó签署qiānshǔ了le相关xiāngguān合作hézuò文件wénjiàn。二〇二一年èrlíng’èryīnián通车tōngchē的de中老铁路，把bǎ云南yúnnán昆明kūnmíng和hé老挝lǎowō首都shǒudū万象wànxiàng连lián在zài了le一起yìqǐ，是shì常cháng被bèi提及tíjí的de例子lìzi。

支持者zhīchízhě认为rènwéi，许多xǔduō发展中国家fāzhǎnzhōngguójiā长期chángqī缺少quēshǎo道路dàolù、电力diànlì和hé港口gángkǒu，“一带一路yídài-yílù”填补tiánbǔ了le这zhè一yì缺口quēkǒu，带动dàidòng了le当地dāngdì的de就业jiùyè和hé贸易màoyì。批评者pīpíngzhě则zé担心dānxīn，一些yìxiē国家guójiā借款jièkuǎn过多guòduō，难以nányǐ偿还chánghuán：二〇一七年èrlíngyīqīnián，斯里兰卡sīlǐ-lánkǎ把bǎ汉班托塔港租zū给gěi一家yìjiā中国zhōngguó企业qǐyè，租期zūqī九十九jiǔshíjiǔ年nián，这zhè件jiàn事shì常cháng被bèi当作dàngzuò“债务zhàiwù陷阱xiànjǐng”的de例子lìzi。不过búguò，也yě有yǒu不少bùshǎo研究者yánjiūzhě认为rènwéi，“债务zhàiwù陷阱xiànjǐng”的de说法shuōfǎ有所yóusuǒ夸大kuādà，斯里兰卡sīlǐ-lánkǎ的de债务zhàiwù问题wèntí有yǒu多方面duōfāngmiàn的de原因yuányīn。

此外cǐwài，项目xiàngmù对duì环境huánjìng的de影响yíngxiǎng、合同hétóng是否shìfǒu透明tòumíng、工程gōngchéng质量zhìliàng如何rúhé，也yě一直yìzhí是shì各方gèfāng讨论tǎolùn的de焦点jiāodiǎn。

在zài你nǐ的de国家guójiā，有yǒu“一带一路yídài-yílù”的de项目xiàngmù吗ma？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
核心	héxīn	core; nucleus; heart
贸易	màoyì	trade; commerce
港口	gángkǒu	port; harbor
投资	tóuzī	to invest; investment
贷款	dàikuǎn	loan; to provide a loan; to borrow from a bank
官方	guānfāng	official; government; the authorities
电力	diànlì	electric power; electricity
则	zé	then; whereas; in contrast (formal)
焦点	jiāodiǎn	focus; focal point
简称	jiǎnchēng	to be called for short; abbreviation; short form
倡议	chàngyì	to propose; to initiate; proposal; initiative
丝绸	sīchóu	silk; silk cloth

English (for the teacher)

“Yidai yilu” (“one belt, one road”) is short for the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road”. In autumn 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed these two initiatives, first in Kazakhstan and then in Indonesia. The name borrows from the ancient Silk Road: from more than two thousand years ago, merchants followed this route to carry Chinese silk, and later tea, to Central Asia and Europe.

Today the core of the Belt and Road is infrastructure and trade: building railways, ports and power stations, plus investment and loans. According to official Chinese figures, more than 150 countries have signed cooperation documents with China. The China–Laos Railway, opened in 2021, links Kunming in Yunnan with Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and is an often-cited example.

Supporters argue that many developing countries have long lacked roads, power and ports, and that the Belt and Road has filled this gap and boosted local jobs and trade. Critics worry that some countries have borrowed too much and will struggle to repay: in 2017 Sri Lanka leased Hambantota Port to a Chinese company for ninety-nine years, and this is often cited as an example of a “debt trap”. Still, many researchers think the “debt trap” label is overstated, and that Sri Lanka’s debt problems had many causes.

Beyond that, the projects’ effect on the environment, whether contracts are transparent and the quality of the construction have also long been at the centre of the debate.

Are there any Belt and Road projects in your country?