<轉載自2023年10月16日 明報 社評>
「一帶一路」倡議提出10周年,明天北京將舉行盛大高峰論壇,130多個國家將派元首或高官出席,足見此倡議受到歡迎。10年以來,帶路從中國輸出基建,演變到促進帶路沿線國家經貿、金融和科技發展。帶路倡議過去10年乃中國主動輸出,今後要做到帶路沿線國家投入共建,需要真正做到「遵循經濟學邏輯,而非地緣政治邏輯」,這方面香港也可扮演重要角色。
帶路始於中國主動輸出 收成在於投入共建互利
全球政經首腦雲集北京,出席高峰論壇,或許有「畀面派對」成分,但美國也提出類似帶路倡議,則是帶路倡議不容忽視的佐證。上月G20峰會上,美國宣布要打造印度中東歐洲經濟走廊,或稱「香料之路」,還網羅歐盟、印度為此背書,這是否「翻版帶路」還有待具體計劃的提出,但匆匆宣布,明顯是看到帶路倡議對傳統由西方主導經濟發展模式的地位受到威脅,不得不「另起爐灶」以抗衡中國的影響。
帶路沿線國家派員來北京出席峰會,相信不少國家是有求於中國,來找投資項目,來借貸或求延遲還貸都有之,但更多的是來看看中國將如何將帶路倡議延續與擴大範圍,30多個國際機構的代表,是來看看這個帶路模式的「中國方案」,將如何引領世界經濟進一步發展,以及帶路模式對全球治理體系有何貢獻。
中國提出帶路倡議並付諸實行後,引起西方國家抨擊,指摘帶路項目為發展中國家帶來「債務危機」,質疑基建項目是否能夠盈利,甚至是破壞環境。上周中國發表《一帶一路白皮書》,對此有所回應,表示帶路項目都是遵循國際慣例和債務可持續原則,是東道國出於本國經濟發展和民生改善而發起。其實,西方所說的發展中國家陷入債務危機,始作俑者是西方發達國家,發展中國家的債務,中國佔的比例不及西方國家,西方發達國家所擔憂的是出現中國參與競爭。此外,中國為回應對氣候變化影響問題,已經宣布不再新建境外煤發電項目。
帶路倡議的確是以基建項目為主打,修橋起路,興建水力發電站、鐵路港口項目等等,發展中國家短期可以惠及民生,長遠可以減貧滅災。近年帶路項目已經擴展到金融和科技領域,不但輸出去,而且還請進來,為發展中國家來華留學生設立獎學金,並且提供科研平台。提供就業機會,培養人才與發展機會並重。
帶路項目廣泛鋪開,現已跨越到一個新階段,一是分散的項目點已經逐漸形成「帶」和「路」,公路、電網、工業園、金融體系、電子科技等等在一些國家連成一片,發揮集群效應和協同效應。二是一些項目起到示範作用,其他國家要來「搭便車」,雲南到老撾鐵路項目是一例,中國提出建設連通東南亞國家的鐵路網,沒有受到積極響應,但昆明至萬象鐵路2021年通貨運、今年通客運之後,泰國和越南也紛紛「找上門來」,要求連通。
帶路項目有政經示範作用 硬連通與軟連通必須並行
示範作用不止於經濟層面,還帶來外交成果。中國承包在沙特阿拉伯的沙漠上建高鐵,技術與質量成為「最好的中國故事」,沙特開始購買中國產的軍事設備,此外,在中國斡旋下,積怨多年的沙特與伊朗實現和解,直接衝擊美國在中東的地位。
帶路倡議獲得更多沿線國家的響應,但成績與挑戰共存。過去帶路項目幾乎都是「國家行為」,因為大型基建基本上只能由國企去承包,而且涉及貸款也是由專門的國企銀行輔助,但帶路項目要符合經濟邏輯,就必須是在商業上有利可圖,才能做到可持續,民企的參與勢在必行,今後國家以何種形式促進帶路項目,應該有一套新的做法,既能居中協調,又能讓民企參與。
帶路倡議已經做到通商的作用,促進經濟發展是互惠的,但只通商不通民心,一旦無利可圖就不能持續。特別是發展中國家的政治複雜,軍人政府與文人政府經常互換角色,政黨輪替也格外頻繁,帶路項目往往由於政治反覆而出現顛來倒去,民意基礎才是帶路項目穩定性的最佳保障,要爭取民意,帶路項目不能因為只顧項目建設,損害當地民眾的福祉,而且要附帶社區服務,才能讓當地民眾附和。香港有份參與的「光明行」項目,免費治療白內障患者,30多個國家的受惠人數達到近萬名,是一個以「軟連通」支撐「硬連通」,最終做到「心相通」的最佳例子。
香港響應帶路倡議的軌迹,由中央給項目支持開始,比如離岸人民幣清算中心、區域仲裁中心等,現已有很多企業主動出擊,到中東和東盟國家找項目,還積極參與為帶路沿線國家提供公共衛生項目。隨着帶路倡議的進一步深入和廣泛開展,新的機會陸續有來,應該及時把握。
帶路倡議之所以受歡迎,是中國做到帶路項目不附帶任何政治與經濟條件,讓發展中國家在傳統西方做法與中國做法兩者之間有所選擇,今後這些國家如何投入共建帶路,將取決於帶路模式是否能夠做到創新與活力的機制。
Reaping the Harvest of the Belt and Road Initiative
IT HAS BEEN ten years since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was proposed. A grand summit forum will be held in Beijing tomorrow (17 October), and the leaders or senior officials of more than 130 countries will attend it, manifesting the popularity of the initiative.
Indeed, global political and economic leaders who are gathering in Beijing for the summit forum might be doing so out of respect for the host. However, the US has also proposed a similar initiative, proving that the BRI is a force to be reckoned with. At the G20 summit last month (September), the US announced that it would build an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, the so-called "Spice Route", and lined up the European Union and India to endorse the idea. Whether this is a replica of the BRI will depend on the concrete plans to be put forward. Yet, its hurried announcement is a telltale sign that the BRI has threatened the status of the economic development model traditionally dominated by the West, which has no choice but to come up with its own version to counter China's influence.
The fact that countries along the Belt and Road are sending representatives to Beijing to attend the summit, is presumably because many countries have to ask China for favours, which can be investment projects, loans or deferments of loan repayments. But more importantly, they are here to see how China will continue and expand the BRI. The representatives from over 30 international organisations want to see how the BRI model, which is a "China Plan", will lead to the further development of the world economy, and what contribution it will make to the global governance system.
After China had proposed and implemented the BRI, it attracted criticism from Western countries, which accused the BRI projects of causing a "debt crisis" to developing countries and questioned whether infrastructure projects could be profitable. They even claimed that the projects would damage the environment. In response China released the "BRI White Paper" last week, stating that BRI projects adhere to international practices and the principle of debt sustainability, and are initiated by host countries for their own economic development and improvement of people's livelihood.
In fact, the debt crisis in developing countries, which the West calls, was initially caused by Western developed countries. Compared with Western countries, China accounts for a small proportion of developing countries' debts. What Western developed countries are worried about is competition from China. Furthermore, in response to climate change, China has announced that it will no longer build new overseas coal-fired power generation projects.
Currently, many companies in Hong Kong have proactively responded to the BRI and taken the initiative to look for projects in the Middle East and ASEAN countries. They have also actively participated in providing public health projects for countries along the Belt and Road. With further deepening and extensive implementation of the BRI, new opportunities will come one after another, and they should be seized in time.
The reason why the BRI is so popular is that China does not attach any political or economic conditions to BRI projects, allowing developing countries to choose between the traditional Western model and the Chinese model. How these countries will contribute to the joint construction of the BRI in the future will depend on whether the BRI model can achieve innovation and vitality.
一帶一路開始收成 後勁還看雙向融合
「一帶一路」倡議提出10周年,明天北京將舉行盛大高峰論壇,130多個國家將派元首或高官出席,足見此倡議受到歡迎。
全球政經首腦雲集北京,出席高峰論壇,或許有「畀面派對」成分,但美國也提出類似帶路倡議,則是帶路倡議不容忽視的佐證。上月G20峰會上,美國宣布要打造印度中東歐洲經濟走廊,或稱「香料之路」,還網羅歐盟、印度為此背書,這是否「翻版帶路」還有待具體計劃的提出,但匆匆宣布,明顯是看到帶路倡議對傳統由西方主導經濟發展模式的地位受到威脅,不得不「另起爐灶」以抗衡中國的影響。
帶路沿線國家派員來北京出席峰會,相信不少國家是有求於中國,來找投資項目,來借貸或求延遲還貸都有之,但更多的是來看看中國將如何將帶路倡議延續與擴大範圍,30多個國際機構的代表,是來看看這個帶路模式的「中國方案」,將如何引領世界經濟進一步發展,以及帶路模式對全球治理體系有何貢獻。
中國提出帶路倡議並付諸實行後,引起西方國家抨擊,指摘帶路項目為發展中國家帶來「債務危機」,質疑基建項目是否能夠盈利,甚至是破壞環境。上周中國發表《一帶一路白皮書》,對此有所回應,表示帶路項目都是遵循國際慣例和債務可持續原則,是東道國出於本國經濟發展和民生改善而發起。
其實,西方所說的發展中國家陷入債務危機,始作俑者是西方發達國家,發展中國家的債務,中國佔的比例不及西方國家,西方發達國家所擔憂的是出現中國參與競爭。此外,中國為回應對氣候變化影響問題,已經宣布不再新建境外煤發電項目。
香港響應帶路倡議的軌迹,現已有很多企業主動出擊,到中東和東盟國家找項目,還積極參與為帶路沿線國家提供公共衛生項目。隨着帶路倡議的進一步深入和廣泛開展,新的機會陸續有來,應該及時把握。
帶路倡議之所以受歡迎,是中國做到帶路項目不附帶任何政治與經濟條件,讓發展中國家在傳統西方做法與中國做法兩者之間有所選擇,今後這些國家如何投入共建帶路,將取決於帶路模式是否能夠做到創新與活力的機制。
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