Referring to the "One Belt, One Road" initiatives as the Chinese version of Marshall Plan reveals the ignorance of some people and even the ulterior intentions of others.

The initiatives, namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, are different from the U.S. Marshall Plan in so many ways that any serious historian or political analyst would think such an analogy is far-fetched.

Firstly, motivational differences are striking. Unlike the politically directed Marshall Plan which partly contributed to the shaping of the Cold War, China's initiatives are no political agenda to intensify any confrontation. They are driven by China's realization that many developing countries crave for development without political strings attached by the West, and the belief that helping them can benefit China in return.

China does not intend to take advantage of the initiatives to form an alliance against a certain country or any group of countries. Neither does China seek to establish a supremacy in Asia and beyond.

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