Strengthened People-to-people Ties
People-to-people ties provide an anchor for the Belt and Road Initiative. Without such an anchor, the strategic goal of connecting diverse cultures and different countries would be out of reach. Increased interaction and mutual understanding, greater awareness of potential benefits from expanded cooperation, and more participation are therefore indispensable to the initiative’s success.
To this end, the countries along the Belt and Road are encouraged to step up friendly cooperation in the Silk Road tradition by promoting extensive cultural, academic, scientific, media, and other people-to-people exchanges, including those between youths, women, and volunteer groups, so as to consolidate public support for bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Specific measures include: Exchanges could be pursued between non-governmental organizations; the role of political parties and parliaments in promoting bilateral and multilateral interaction should be strengthened; collaboration between think tanks is also encouraged in conducting research and sponsoring forums on issues of common concern; and dialogues between civilizations and religions could be fostered through increased exchanges between cultural and media organizations.
民心相通
民心相通是“一带一路”建设的社会根基。作为一项沟通多元文化和众多国家的重大战略构想，“一带一路”能否成功从根本上取决于民心能否相通，直接体现在沿线国家人民的获得感、认可度和参与度上。
为此，沿线各国要传承和弘扬丝绸之路友好合作精神，广泛开展文化交流、学术往来、人才交流、媒体合作、科技合作、青年和妇女交往、志愿者服务等领域的务实合作，增进相互了解和传统友谊，为深化双多边合作奠定坚实的民意基础。具体措施包括：加强沿线国家民间组织的交流合作，充分发挥政党、议会交往的桥梁作用，推动沿线国家智库之间开展联合研究、合作举办论坛，加强文化传媒的国际交流合作，促进不同文明和宗教之间的交流对话，等等。
