With so much criticism and praise towards the Belt and Road Initiative, it is important not to forget the initiative’s background. Thousands of years ago, ancestors who were trekking across vast lands opened the Silk Road to connect Asia, Europe and Africa. At the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation last year in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that “history is our best teacher… If we take the first courageous step towards each other, we can embark on a path leading to friendship, shared development, peace, harmony and a better future.” Now, increasingly so, the initiative is internationally seen as a bridge connecting hope, opportunity and common prosperity.