Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) visits Port of Duisburg of Germany March 29, 2014. President Xi Saturday called on China and Germany to work together to build the Silk Road economic belt. [Photo/Xinhua]

In September 2013, China proposed a Silk Road Economic Belt with Central Asian countries. Since then, the relationship between the economic zone and the Eurasian Union has become a matter of concern. The strategies initiated respectively by China and Russia both focus on Central Asia, which makes some people believe that they will probably conflict with each other.

This point of view seems reasonable. The Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian Union share some of the same members, connect with each other geographically, and even have a similar function.

However, it is too mechanical and simplistic to say the two strategies will conflict with each other.

China and Russia are both very large countries that border on Central Asia, which cannot be changed geographically. But the choice between cooperation or conflict depends on human efforts. From the Chinese way of thinking, contradictory things can and even should coexist harmoniously.

China's proposal aims at promoting both the domestic development and regional cooperation. There is no intention to rival Russia, or provoke competition with the Eurasian Union. The two strategies can cooperate and be complementary to each other.

Judging from national interest, the Silk Road Economic Belt will not damage Russia's interests. The basic function of the economic zone is to deepen regional cooperation, which is conducive to regional stability and development. A stable and developed Central Asia is in line with Russian interests regardless of its politics, economics and national security. There is no need for Central Asian countries to make a black-or-white choice between the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian Union. The economic zone would not affect the prospects of the Eurasian Union. Fundamentally speaking, the success of the Eurasian Union relies on the relationship between Russia and Central Asian countries, as well as its mutual benefit.