Research and Development International (RDI) emerged in the waves of the New Globalization and the 4th Industrial Revolution. Aimed at promoting BRI researches and practices, its relative projects was launched in April 2015 under the support of National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. RDI has contributed great efforts to think tank research, international cooperation and the B&R construction based on the “Problem-oriented, Demand-guided, Project-focused, Result-based” principle. By far, it has established its well-structured think tank network, international network, city network and enterprise network.

Think tank network: it has brought together experts and scholars from professional think tanks, academia and enterprises at home and abroad to provide consultation and advice, carry out theoretical innovation, guide public opinion, provide social service, promote public diplomacy, with its focus on international hot spot issues and concerns relative to the B&R construction. It organizes high-level exchanges and think tank symposiums, builds capacity and launches mono-graphic studies. It formulates high-quality reports based on in-depth investigations and surveys on the B&R-related issues and provides suggestion and advice to the central and local governments. Its reports and policy suggestions have been effectively adopted as policies and measures by relevant ministries, commissions and local governments and provided significant guidance to help the Chinese enterprises “Go Global”.

International network: it has formed a service system coordinating strategic partners and supporting organizations at home and abroad, including political parties, governments, parliaments, think tanks, enterprises, financial institutions, social organizations, media and multilateral/bilateral international organizations. With the organizational support of international Strategy Committee, dual-chairman system of key countries and international branch networks, it takes bilateral and multilateral high-level exchanges as important linkages and enterprise cooperation as carrier to promote the B&R construction.

City network: it innovate ideas, pool wisdom and cultivate talents to help cities achieve economic and social development with high quality. It makes efforts to improve the scientific, democratic and legal level of local government decision making, actively carry out comprehensive researches on urban economy and industry, and provides intellectual support for urban construction and industrial development. It has carried out close cooperation with the governments of Qinghai Province, Hainan Province, Zhuhai, Qingdao, Ningbo, Suzhou, Nanning, Baoding, Xiangtan, etc., established a “Think Tank + City” service network, successfully held a series of high-level consultative conferences which now represent one of its brand events, so as to provide suggestions and plannings for the high-quality and sustainable development of local economy and society.

Enterprises network: it has integrated more than 430 backbone enterprises of multiple sectors, including energy & new energy, infrastructure construction & new infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, mining, emerging manufacturing, green industry, modern finance, comprehensive health, new material, culture and tourism, trade, port, park, education, and chambers of commerce & associations, which made a good match of SOEs and private enterprises, of traditional industries and modern ones, of leading enterprises and “Hidden Champions”. By establishing seven professional service systems, i.e. legal service, policy research, technological standard, information service, financial support, culture and brand, and capacity building, RDI allocates resources of government, enterprise and industry to group enterprises to “Go Global” and provides systematic services and supports to enterprises for their participation in the “Dual Circulation” and the B&R construction.

RDI has gained recognition from relevant institutions at home and aboard. “China Analysis - A Hundred Think Tanks Blooming in China”, a research report released by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in 2016 hails RDI as an example of China’s new think tanks and states that “RDI has established systematic mechanisms for dialogues, exchanges and cooperation.” It was selected as the 2016 “Excellent B&R Think Tank” after a systematic and open information analysis by the Belt and Road 100 and was elected a member institution of the Council of Silk Road Think Tank Association under the International Department of the Central Committee of the CPC in February 2017. It was conferred upon the “Brand Activity Award” by the Council of Silk Road Think Tank Association in December 2019 and  “Hilal-i-Imtiaz” Pakistan Civil Award by the Pakistan Government in 2020.