The authors selected here describe the OBOR as a key element of a "new round of opening to the world", a phrase used by Xi Jinping to describe his economic strategy.9 Its goal, Jia Qingguo writes, should be to promote China’s economic upgrading and rebalancing through such opening. However, the idea is still at the planning stage. It will take years to come to fruition and will face many serious challenges along the way. At this stage, even major elements of the plan appear to be up for debate, and the authors covered here appear to have taken advantage of this situation to push their own policy priorities under the banner of a new strategic slogan.