TheBeltandRoadInitiativeisavisionofglobalprosperity,peace,cooperationandmutuallybeneficialinvestments,whichisurgentlyneededduringthisperiodofcollapseofthepreviousinternationalorderestablishedafterWorldWarII.Thereare,ofcourse,massivematerialincentivesforEurope,whichcouldonlybenefitfromaprosperousCentralAsia,withnewmarkets,tradepartners,andtraderoutes.Therearetheideologicalbenefitsofbeingpartofthosewhoactivelyreducepovertyandworktobuildaprosperousworld.Butthere’salsothegeopoliticalandhistoricalcontext,whichspeaksforEuropeanengagementintheBRI.TheinternationalordersetforthbytheUnitedNationswasmainlyestablishedbytheWest(includingthemainlyEuropeanUSSR)andhaslongbeendominatedbytheWest.Theoriginalaspirationwasamoreequitable,fairandespeciallypeacefulworld,butmanycountriesatthetimewerestillsemi-orfullcoloniesofWesternpowersandcouldn’tparticipateinthecreationoftheneworderatthetime.Moreandmorenationshavesinceregainedtheirindependenceandsovereignty,andstartedintegratingintothisworldorder,welcomedbytheWest,aslongastheydidn’tchallengetheWesterndomination.TheGeneralSecretaryoftheUNcancomefromanycountry,butthemore“hardpower”positionsoftheWorldBankandIMFpresidentswerealwaysoccupiedbyEuropeansorAmericans.WhentheWTOincreasinglytookcaseschallengingUSunilateraltraderestrictions,theUSstoppedreplacingjudges,renderingthearbitrationbodyoftheWTOdysfunctional.WhenunilateralsanctionsbytheUSshowedlessandlesseffect,theUSstartedweaponizingtheUSD,whichhadpreviouslyservedasworldtradecurrency.WhiletheorientationofadomineeringUShasbecomeincreasinglyunacceptablefortheglobalSouth,alsothecommonpeopleinEuropeincreasinglysufferfromUSpoliciesaimedatrestoringUSmilitaryandeconomicdominanceintheEuropeanperiphery,atthecostofEuropeaneconomicandgeopoliticalpower.TheEUsanctionsagainstRussianenergyarehurtingEuropeanindustry,thebombingofNordStreamII,notinvestigatedbyGermany,andcelebratedbyUSpoliticalelites,furtherexacerbatesEurope’scrisis.Europe’sbestalternativeliesintheoriginalaspirationoftheUN-basedworldorder,whichisnowcarriedforthbytheglobalSouth,andnotablybyChina’sBeltandRoadvisionofapeaceful,equitable,andprosperousworld.Nobodycanrejectthesegoals;Europeespeciallydoesendorsethesegoals.Unfortunately,rulingelitesintheWeststillhavedifficultyshakingofftheircompetitiveorevenadversarialmindsetagainstChina.Theysimultaneouslytrytopreventanintegratedworldeconomywithkeywordslike“decoupling”or“de-risking”,astheypresent“alternatives”to“China’s”BeltandRoad.Especiallytheideaof“alternative”infrastructureinvestmentprojects-likeGlobalGatewayorBBBW-showsthelackofunderstandingoftheworldasasharedcommunityofhumankind:Forentrepreneurs,businesses,andtheeconomyasawhole,itdoesn’tmatterwhoinvestsininfrastructureorunderwhatframework,aslongtheinvestmentisreallymade.ABBBWportisstillaport,aGlobalGatewaytrainrouteisstillatrainroute,justasaEurasianEconomicUniontradestandardisalsostillastandard.Alltheseframeworkscreatesynergies.Theonlyrelevantquestioniswhethertheframeworksgetimplementedornot,orwhetherstandardsgetacceptedornot.BeltandRoadisn’tanexclusiveframeworktopitoneagainsttheother.It’sanopenvisioninwhichallparticipantsarecontributors.BeltandRoadalreadyfullycooperateswithRussia’sEuropeanEconomicUnion,andcouldequallycooperatewiththeGlobalGatewayandBBBWprojects,iftheyevergetimplemented.Chinahasmanytimesmadeclearitdoesn’taimtoreplacethecurrentUN-ledworldorderbasedoninternationallaw.Muchrather,Chinaworksonrevivingitsoriginalaspirationinanewera,withmanymoreindependentnationsthan80yearsago.AsChinesePresidentXiJinpinghassaidintheopeningspeechofthe3rdBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperation:“BeltandRoadcooperationwasproposedbyChina,butitsbenefitsandopportunitiesarefortheworldtoshare.”TheWesthasbecomeincreasinglyisolatedinrecentgeopoliticaldisputes,beitinsanctioningRussia,therecognitionofPalestinianstatehood,ortheweaponizationoftheUSD,nottomentionculturalvalues.Mostpeopleintheworldwantpeace,prosperity,andmutualrespectfordifferences,ratherthanone-size-fits-allculturalandpoliticalideology.EUforeignaffairsrepresentativeJosepBorrellvisitedChinaonOctober12,statinghewishedChinawouldlookatEuropemoreindependently,and“notthroughthelensofitsrelationswithothers”.CooperationundertheBeltandRoadwouldbeagreatplaceforEuropeangovernmentstostartbeingmoreindependentoftheUS.Hungaryhasshownthatsuchanindependentpositionispossible.ChinaandtheworldwouldcertainlywelcomeanindependentEuropeinamultipolarworldorderbasedoninternationallawandmutualrespect.Europe’seconomywouldbebetteroffifEuropefullyjoinedtheBeltandRoadandinvestedinbuildingpeaceandprosperityinsteadofwarandweaponsdeliveries.TheEuropeanpeopleshouldeitherforcetheirelitestostartworkinginthepeople’sinterestsagain,orreplacethepoliticalleadershipofEurope.ContributedbyHaraldBuchmann,SwissResearcherforGerman-ChineseRelations,CenterforChinaandGlobalizationEditor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,or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