Frontiers in Business, Economics and Management ISSN: 2766-824X | Vol. 9, No. 1, 2023 159 Research on the Strategic Position of the 'Belt and Road Initiative' in China's New Economic Landscape Jingyi Yang Ideas Education School, Chengdu, 610000, China Abstract: Since the 21st century, the process of globalization has been deepening, and the pace of global economic integration is rapidly advancing. The vast majority of countries in the world are paying increasing attention to exchanges and cooperation with other countries and regions. It can be said that in the current world pattern, isolationism is equivalent to self-destruction. China is a pioneer in the process of globalization, fully supporting and promoting global integration. In recent years, China's cooperation and exchanges with other countries and regions have increased, and the previous cooperation modes can no longer meet the current economic needs. Therefore, a new cooperation mode becomes extremely important. The "Belt and Road Initiative" is a strategy proposed in this context. The "Belt and Road Initiative" is a significant strategy in China's critical period of transitioning to a higher-level model. This strategy will not only have a significant impact on China's economy moving towards a new normal but will also greatly strengthen and reshape China's position in the world economic pattern. This paper mainly analyzes the strategic position of the "Belt and Road Initiative" in China's new economic landscape, as well as its economic impact on China and the existing issues. Keywords: Strategic Position, Belt and Road Initiative, Economic Landscape, Future Rise and Decline. 1. ‘The Belt and Road Initiative's Promotion of China's Market Development 1.1. Formation of a Massive Unified Market For the current situation in China, the impact and advantages of the long-term national strategy of the "Belt and Road Initiative" are mainly reflected in China's large market of over a billion people. Historically and experientially, many factors can influence the changes in the world economic pattern in the future, but the most critical is undoubtedly the market factor. It can be said that whoever has the largest market has the most say, and can develop and progress rapidly. Therefore, forming a unified, large-scale, and diversified market has a huge role in China's position in the future world economic pattern, and can form the objective conditions for China's new advantages in the competition of economic globalization. The "Belt and Road Initiative" not only has a significant role in forming China's unified large market, but also has a very obvious effect in integrating the consumption ability of regions and countries along the "Belt and Road". In the foreseeable future, the formation of a unified large consumer market centered on China is an important choice for China's economic development strategy. At present, the regions and countries along the "Belt and Road" have about 4 billion people and a total economic volume of more than 30 trillion US dollars, accounting for about 60% and 30% of the world's total economy, respectively. Therefore, the regions and countries along the "Belt and Road" have huge development potential and have a very positive role in promoting the formation of an internationalized unified large market. The "Belt and Road Initiative" proposed by China is a strategy with considerable openness and inclusiveness. In the future, once the "Belt and Road Initiative" takes shape, it will have a siphoning effect, attracting not only the regions and countries along the "Belt and Road", but also other regions, countries, and economies to participate, making the radiation of the "Belt and Road Initiative" more widely divergent. It can be seen that in the future development of the "Belt and Road" economic strategy, the most important direction to pay attention to is to continuously expand the scale of the consumer market, and the formation of a huge economic market formed by the regions and countries along the "Belt and Road" is a very important process, which is very important for China's economic development pattern in the next few decades. In the foreseeable future, the potential of the huge economic market formed by the regions and countries along the "Belt and Road" is very huge. If this factor is well developed, then China's consumer market will approach or even surpass the international consumer market led by the United States, which will have a very significant meaning for China's economic development. Compared with the ancient Silk Road, the new Silk Road in the 21st century pays more attention to the process of integration. It is not only the construction and connection of infrastructure between regions and countries along the "Belt and Road", but also values the formation of a large unified market, substantially improving the economic development situation and living standards of the people in the regions and countries along the "Belt and Road" in all aspects. 1.2. Formation of Expanded Market Investment "Upon the foundation of a comprehensive, unified, large- scale market comprised of countries and regions along the 'Belt and Road' initiative, new geographical spaces for both China's overseas investments and foreign investments in China will emerge. Given the current national and international situation, China has generally entered the late stage of industrialization reform. The primary concern is not a lack of production capacity, but rather overcapacity, rendering China the 'world's factory' in the true sense. From the perspective of China's economic structure and development, investment will play an extremely crucial role in China's economic development process, both now and in 160 the future. However, traditional investment models no longer meet China's current economic development situation and scale. The advancement of the 'Belt and Road' initiative provides an important direction and space for the adjustment of China's investment structure. Currently, the 'Belt and Road' initiative is in the preliminary stage of laying the groundwork, with more investments mainly in infrastructure, especially as the infrastructure investment demand is enormous in countries and regions along the 'Belt and Road'. According to data, effective infrastructure investment construction significantly improves and develops the economies and living standards of people in developing regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road', effectively promoting the development and expansion of productivity. The 'Belt and Road' initiative plays a significant role in digesting China's overcapacity in basic construction, such as steel, coal, cement, and energy. In national lifeline industries such as the oil and gas industry, national tourism, the national grid, transportation, finance, and infrastructure construction, the initiative also plays a considerable improvement role. Moreover, these investments will be stable medium and long-term demands in China. At present, the foundation of China's economy is built slowly, and domestic consumption demand is relatively weak. The 'Belt and Road' strategy provides many opportunities for the consumption of overcapacity and stock resources in some industries in China. Leveraging China's developed transportation and infrastructure construction, from ports, highways, rail transport, air transport, and other routes, the implementation of the 'go out' strategy is strengthened, increasing domestic and foreign cooperation and development in infrastructure construction and industries with overcapacity in China, and through reasonable operation and management, some investment costs and benefits are recouped. For countries and regions along the 'Belt and Road' where infrastructure construction is weak, we should increase investment in these countries and regions, improve the infrastructure, enhance the living conditions and quality of local residents, and also consume the production capacity of overcapacity enterprises in China." 2. ‘The Belt and Road' Initiative's Boost to China's Border Economy 2.1. Driving the Development of Border Tourism In ancient times, on the Silk Road, the Ili Prefecture was an essential stronghold and important passage. The Ili region has grown into a famous area in China's western region focusing on border tourism. The Ili region is rich in natural resources, with approximately 300 million acres of natural grasslands and 16.5 million acres of uncultivated areas, indicating enormous development potential; its landscapes are incredibly beautiful. The nine picturesque grasslands of varying sizes in Xinjiang are all concentrated in the Ili region, best depicted by the phrase "a lonely smoke in the vast desert, a long river setting sun." Moreover, there are approximately 30 scenic spots in the Ili region, nine of which are national key tourism protected areas. The entire Ili region has a long border line, adjoining important Belt and Road countries like Kazakhstan, Pakistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia, showing excellent tourism development prospects. With the proposal of the Belt and Road economic strategy, the Chinese government has prioritized the development of the tourism industry in the Ili region. Since the introduction of the Belt and Road strategy, the national government has invested massively in many attractions in the Ili region and its surrounding areas: developing tourism projects, constructing scenic spot infrastructure, and establishing scenic routes and roads. This has significantly improved the economic development of the Ili region and its surrounding areas and the living conditions and quality of the local residents. In previous years, the tourism development in the Ili region encountered a bottleneck. After the state proposed the Belt and Road strategy, it vigorously implemented the strategy of "going out, please come in," not only promoting the beautiful scenery of the Ili region abroad but also vigorously promoting it to the Chinese people. In 2015, with the strong support of the Belt and Road strategic guidelines, the tourism industry in the Ili region has made substantial progress. The income from border tourism has increased significantly, the regional GDP has also grown substantially, and the income of residents in the Ili region has improved significantly, as has the quality of life. The development of the border tourism industry in the Ili region can significantly improve the economic development of the Xinjiang region and then improve the economic development of the western region, narrow the wealth gap between the central and western regions, and the surrounding areas of the Ili region will also follow the development of the Ili region. 2.2. Promoting China's direct investment in neighboring countries "Every industry is facing new reforms, and structural adjustments in industry have led to serious overcapacity, which has become a very thorny issue at present. The development of each industry in our country is very tough, the process is difficult, and it has undergone large-scale reforms for more than 30 years, enabling industries to continue to develop and construct. Of course, this process is also one of constant innovation. Traditional industries have been eliminated and can no longer attract the attention of other industries in the world and people. They can't attract more investments. Without financial circulation, they naturally can't develop. On the contrary, for emerging industries, new products and sales models have attracted the world's attention, attracted more and larger investments, and provided infrastructure guarantees for the development of emerging industries. After the introduction of China's 'Belt and Road' policy, it brought huge economic benefits to China, and also produced an industry driving effect, promoting the development of China's economy. As actual situations show, China has a huge proportion of foreign investment in the economy. Trade between China and the European Union and other countries is developing rapidly, which not only promotes the economic development of China and the European Union and other countries, but also increases the cooperative relationship between China and the European Union and other countries, and promotes the friendly and peaceful development of China and the European Union and other countries." 2.3. Accelerating the internationalization of the Renminbi The predominant currency in the international community is currently the U.S. dollar, which holds a dominant position. However, the international status of the Renminbi is also 161 increasingly high, and its internationalization is becoming stronger. The internationalization of the Renminbi primarily involves conducting Renminbi cross-border settlement business in cooperation and exchanges with other overseas countries and regions, and using the Renminbi to settle and pay bills in trade and exchanges with other countries and regions. These measures are of great significance for promoting the comprehensive implementation of the "Belt and Road" initiative. Data shows that the status of the Renminbi in the international market is getting higher and higher. The total volume of trade settled in Renminbi has made significant progress and development in recent years compared to the past, reaching a scale of 7 trillion as early as 2014. The Renminbi has now become the second largest international settlement currency, second only to the U.S. dollar. With the gradual implementation of the "Belt and Road" strategy, the use of the Renminbi in cross-border transactions and the total amount of settlement economy are increasing. China is placing the improvement of the international economic status of the Renminbi in a very important position, and is intensifying efforts to develop financial cooperation with countries and regions along the "Belt and Road". At this stage, the Renminbi has achieved direct trading with many other currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, British pound, Japanese yen, Australian dollar and other influential currencies in the international market. These measures have a significant promotional effect on China's foreign trade with other countries and reducing foreign trade risks, greatly improving trade liberalization and deep cooperation. 3. The Belt and Road Initiative's Boost to China's Agricultural Economy 3.1. The Agricultural Landscape of Countries and Regions along the 'Belt and Road' Initiative" "China is a major agricultural country, and the development of agriculture is of great significance to China's economic development. For countries and regions along the 'Belt and Road' Initiative, the development of agriculture is even more crucial in national economic development. According to statistics and research from various organizations, the countries and regions along the 'Belt and Road' are generally major agricultural nations, with highly developed agriculture. China's agricultural value added ranked first in the world as early as 2013, reaching $9240.27 billion, and India, also a country along the 'Belt and Road', had an agricultural value added of $3372.25 billion in 2013, ranking third in the world. Indonesia, ranking fifth, had an agricultural value added of $1250.42 billion, and Russia, ranking ninth, had $817.14 billion. Besides, many other countries along the 'Belt and Road' have an agricultural value added of more than $50 billion, ranking at the forefront of the world. As a result, the agriculture along the 'Belt and Road' regions and countries is highly developed. In these countries, the proportion of agricultural development in the national economy is relatively high, especially in countries like Pakistan, Laos, Nepal, Cambodia, Afghanistan, where the proportion of agricultural development has accounted for 20% or more of the total national economy; even in Central Asian countries like Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, the agricultural development accounts for more than 15% of the national economy. Hence, the agricultural development of regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' not only holds an important position in the national economy but also plays a vital role in the global agricultural landscape. Regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' are areas where agricultural land distribution is relatively concentrated, and the proportion of agricultural land in the national area is also very high. For instance, in nearly 30 countries like India, China, agriculture occupies more than half of the total national area. Not only the total agricultural area, but regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' also have a large amount of arable land per capita. Many of them are countries with vast land and sparse population. Therefore, due to China's large total population, the per capita area of regions and countries along the route is generally higher than that of China, especially countries like Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, which have relatively high per capita arable land area, indicating a huge potential for agricultural development. However, in terms of grain output per unit area of arable land, regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' have a significant gap compared to Europe and America, especially Western Asia, South Asia, Russia, Mongolia, and other countries and regions have a relatively low level of output per unit area. From the above data, it is known that if regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' want to improve the development of agriculture, they must enhance agricultural technology levels and agricultural land productivity, as technology is the primary productive force." 3.2. The Agricultural Development Advantages of Countries and Regions along the 'Belt and Road' Initiative" "China is a major agricultural country, and the development of agriculture is of great significance to China's economic development. For countries and regions along the 'Belt and Road' Initiative, the development of agriculture is even more crucial in national economic development. According to statistics and research from various organizations, the countries and regions along the 'Belt and Road' are generally major agricultural nations, with highly developed agriculture. China's agricultural value added ranked first in the world as early as 2013, reaching $9240.27 billion, and India, also a country along the 'Belt and Road', had an agricultural value added of $3372.25 billion in 2013, ranking third in the world. Indonesia, ranking fifth, had an agricultural value added of $1250.42 billion, and Russia, ranking ninth, had $817.14 billion. Besides, many other countries along the 'Belt and Road' have an agricultural value added of more than $50 billion, ranking at the forefront of the world. As a result, the agriculture along the 'Belt and Road' regions and countries is highly developed. In these countries, the proportion of agricultural development in the national economy is relatively high, especially in countries like Pakistan, Laos, Nepal, Cambodia, Afghanistan, where the proportion of agricultural development has accounted for 20% or more of the total national economy; even in Central Asian countries like Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, the agricultural development accounts for more than 15% of the national economy. Hence, the agricultural development of regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' not only holds an important position in the national economy but also plays a vital role in the global 162 agricultural landscape. Regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' are areas where agricultural land distribution is relatively concentrated, and the proportion of agricultural land in the national area is also very high. For instance, in nearly 30 countries like India, China, agriculture occupies more than half of the total national area. Not only the total agricultural area, but regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' also have a large amount of arable land per capita. Many of them are countries with vast land and sparse population. Therefore, due to China's large total population, the per capita area of regions and countries along the route is generally higher than that of China, especially countries like Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, which have relatively high per capita arable land area, indicating a huge potential for agricultural development. However, in terms of grain output per unit area of arable land, regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' have a significant gap compared to Europe and America, especially Western Asia, South Asia, Russia, Mongolia, and other countries and regions have a relatively low level of output per unit area. From the above data, it is known that if regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' want to improve the development of agriculture, they must enhance agricultural technology levels and agricultural land productivity, as technology is the primary productive force." "The Agricultural Development Advantages of Countries and Regions along the 'Belt and Road' Initiative" "The regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' Initiative span a vast geographical area, crossing dozens of countries in various zones. These countries, each with varied climate conditions, possess unique and diverse agricultural systems, which lay an excellent foundation for extensive agricultural cooperation among them. As seen from the data, the agricultural resources of the regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' are very developed. For instance, Russia, having the largest total land area in the world, also has a vast agricultural land area and the world's largest black soil area, which is very suitable for crop cultivation. The agricultural population is about 32.8 million, accounting for 27% of the total population of the country, and agriculture has also provided employment for 10% of the national population. The agricultural resources and development trends of the regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' are also excellent, with agricultural output, agricultural export earnings, and the total economy of agricultural products ranking among the top in the world. The main disadvantage of agricultural development in these regions and countries is that it is too singular and not comprehensive enough, leading to some products being produced in abundance while other less easily cultivated products are heavily dependent on imports. For example, although Russia has a large agricultural output, its product structure is not perfect, with a high dependence on imports for fruits, vegetables, and other plants, and an over-developed aquatic industry leading to a buildup of many aquatic products. In addition, the agricultural production technology level of the regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' is relatively backward. Although the output is high and the varieties are rich, they are weak in high-tech aspects such as pest control and breeding. Also, relatively speaking, high-end products are scarce, and they only have a high share in the international mid-to-low-end market, and their voice in the high-end market is not high. China has a very close bilateral trade relationship with the regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road' in agriculture. China's major agricultural trade export countries are basically located along the 'Belt and Road'. In particular, Russia is China's largest partner in agriculture among the regions and countries along the 'Belt and Road', with a large volume of agricultural trade between China and Russia. The main products are labor-intensive products such as vegetables, horticulture, and fruits. Russia has a large land area and sparse population, but most of the area is not suitable for cultivation. Therefore, Russia's import needs for agricultural products are very large. Among them, Russia is the fifth largest fruit consumer market in the world. As for Russian exports to China, the main products are labor-intensive products such as aquatic products. Since 2010, feed and oil crops have been added as products exported to China, and currently, China will have a very stable demand for Russian dairy products in the foreseeable future. Currently, more than 30% of China's seafood imports come from Russia." 3.3. "The Cooperation Strategy between China and the Countries and Regions along the 'Belt and Road'" The current international situation is relatively stable, and sustained development is the mainstream trend. There are numerous international organizations involved in cooperation. For the countries and regions along the "Belt and Road," a cooperative strategy can be adopted based on the model of the Asian Cooperation Organization, establishing free trade zones such as the China-Russia Free Trade Zone and the China-Mongolia Free Trade Zone. These zones will promote free trade and mutual benefits, fostering extensive cooperation and exchanges in agriculture development. This model can significantly reduce transaction costs and negotiation time between China and the countries and regions along the "Belt and Road," accelerating regional integration. In addition to establishing free trade zones between countries, regions, and regions, another cooperation model can be developed, known as the Agricultural High-Tech Park model. This model requires a broad strategic perspective, expanding the scope and focusing on the concentration of technology, capital, and talent advantages. By establishing high-tech agricultural parks with advanced technology and concentrated capabilities, it can guide bilateral cooperation between China and foreign partners, facilitating rapid and transformative agricultural development in the "Belt and Road" region. Specifically, different cooperation models can be adopted based on the actual circumstances of the cooperating parties, including overseas park construction and remote cooperation. The former refers to joint development in suitable areas selected between cooperating regions or countries, establishing cooperative projects based on high-tech agriculture, and deepening exchanges of experience and achievements. The choice of development areas can be based on specific regional policies, such as economically developed and welfare-oriented coastal areas in China or countries along the "Belt and Road" with abundant land resources but lagging technology. These regions can provide substantial support, promoting agricultural development and addressing local employment issues to a certain extent. 163 The second model, unlike the first, does not restrict development to a specific country or region. Instead, it involves establishing corresponding park areas in the respective regions of the cooperating parties. This model can flexibly leverage different regional advantages and policies to develop projects that align with the respective policies, fully utilizing the advantages of the regions and maximizing the support and advantages provided by the countries. In addition to inter-enterprise cooperation, the governments of cooperating countries should provide strong support to the countries and regions along the "Belt and Road." This support can include providing suitable land and offering preferential tax policies. For example, in cooperation with smaller Asian countries along the "Belt and Road," China can provide relevant technology and financial support. Regarding foreign companies entering China for agricultural development, the Chinese government should provide comprehensive support, especially in areas where cooperative partners have strengths, such as Russia in aquatic products, Thailand in rice, Southeast Asia in fruits, and Central Asian countries in cotton. By promoting bilateral agricultural cooperation between these projects with strong global competitiveness, the deepening and extensive exchange of bilateral agricultural cooperation can be achieved. To ensure the smooth progress of cooperation, a government-level coordination and joint working mechanism in the field of agriculture can be established. This mechanism will enhance policy communication and promote mutual benefits, significantly improving sovereignty and policy reciprocity. Additionally, it can help refine industry standards, strengthen labor cooperation, and facilitate information sharing between enterprises. This creates a convenient and unobstructed channel for both civil and official exchanges, greatly facilitating cross-border agricultural cooperation among multinational enterprises. 4. Conclusion After World War II, the United States, as the biggest beneficiary, emerged as the sole superpower in the world after the collapse of its main competitor, the Soviet Union. Over the decades from World War II to the present, the United States has exerted control over the world financial system through various international economic organizations and financial institutions, becoming the leader in the process of global economic globalization. The U.S. dollar, as the dominant global settlement currency, has cemented the United States' leadership in the world financial system and its position as a global hegemon. However, in recent years, China's rapid development in various aspects, including its economy and military, has been catching up with the United States, and it has increased cooperation and exchanges with major powers and international financial organizations. China has also vigorously promoted and developed the international status of the Chinese yuan in the international financial arena, strengthening the role and influence of the yuan in cross- border trade and cooperation. With these developments, the status of the yuan has been rising in the international arena, posing a significant challenge to the existing U.S.-dominated international financial order. The increasing prominence of the yuan has put the position of the U.S. dollar in decline. As a result, the United States is highly vigilant and defensive against China's recent rise. Although the United States has not officially expressed opposition to China's proposed "Belt and Road" strategy, many ASEAN countries along the "Belt and Road" have not provided strong support and cooperation due to the attitude of the United States. To achieve significant future development of the "Belt and Road" strategy, it is necessary to coordinate and respond to U.S. issues strategically. The best solution to competition among these major countries is to establish a dominant country and balance the interests of various countries worldwide. China, as the leading country in the "Belt and Road" countries and regions, should play a major role in promoting cooperation, trade, and exchanges, while also finding ways to balance the vested interests of various countries and regions. In the process of building the "Belt and Road," which includes the construction of the New Maritime Silk Road, there is not only the participation of small countries and regions but also the involvement of influential countries and organizations internationally. Many small countries and regions participate in the initiative because of the leading role played by major countries and strong powers. However, due to the differences in national, ethnic, and regional policies, there are significant policy variations among countries and regions, and it is difficult to reconcile conflicts in the process of cooperation and exchanges. Once conflicts arise, the leading country and the balancer of interests between countries must play a role. China and Russia are excellent choices as qualified leaders and balancers of interests. Despite opposition and resistance from the U.S., the UK joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, allowing many Western countries to see the true purpose and significant role of the "Belt and Road," thereby changing their unfavorable views influenced by the United States and greatly improving China's international status and image. As the initiator of the "Belt and Road" and a country with an important position and voice internationally, China is fully capable of being a leader and balancer of interests in the countries and regions along the "Belt and Road," regulating the relevant interests and conflicts among them. Regarding threats in border areas, currently, some forces threaten national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. These forces are mostly led by external powers and form various small and large groups conducting. References [1] Zhao, T. (2017). 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