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“一帶一路”建設的社會根基。作為一項溝通多元文化和眾多國家的重大戰略構想，“一帶一路”能否成功從根本上取決于民心能否相通，直接體現在沿線國家人民的獲得感、認可度和參與度上。
為此，沿線各國要傳承和弘揚絲綢之路友好合作精神，廣泛開展文化交流、學術往來、人才交流、媒體合作、科技合作、青年和婦女交往、志愿者服務等領域的務實合作，增進相互了解和傳統友誼，為深化雙多邊合作奠定堅實的民意基礎。具體措施包括：加強沿線國家民間組織的交流合作，充分發揮政黨、議會交往的橋梁作用，推動沿線國家智庫之間開展聯合研究、合作舉辦論壇，加強文化傳媒的國際交流合作，促進不同文明和宗教之間的交流對話，等等。
