# Construction of the Belt and Road Trade Cooperation Network from the Multi-Distances Perspective
###### Abstract  
Based on the cooperation network formation theory, a Belt and Road trade cooperation network was constructed from the multi-distances perspective under the backdrop of the Belt and Road initiative. The geographic, factor endowment, cultural, and institutional distances were selected as variables from the aspects of geography, economy, culture, and politics to expand the gravity model. With this model, an empirical test was conducted using the data from China's export trade flows to Belt and Road countries from 2007 to 2016. The results showed that a Belt and Road country had greater trade flows from China when it had smaller geographic, factor endowment, and cultural distance and greater institutional distance from China. Based on the empirical results, we improved the comprehensive index method to measure the comprehensive distance indices between China and the Belt and Road countries. According to the comprehensive distance indices, these countries could be divided into four cooperation circles, in which the prioritized countries in the different phases were identified. Subsequently, the cooperation network construction was designed in four stages to gradually build an all-round, multi-level, and all-encompassing trade cooperation network between China and the Belt and Road countries. Eventually, based on the above consideration, policy suggestions are provided for the construction of such a network. B 2018 10 1439 10.3390/sul0051439 10.3390/sul0051439 10.339  
scholars generally believed that the Belt and Road is a new type of regional cooperation mechanism based on interconnection and interoperability, characterized by a diversified cooperation mechanism for the purpose of creating a destiny community [4]. However, advancing the construction of the Belt and Road has faced many obstacles and challenges in various fields. Some scholars believe that one of the biggest obstacles is the distrust of neighboring countries [5], whereas some scholars believe that the biggest concern is legal risk [6]. Scholars focused more on the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and achieved fruitful results in researching cooperation with a certain country or a specific industry. For example, a key area of cooperation between China and Central Asian countries is agricultural trade [7]. China and Pakistan should promote negotiations on free trade areas and strengthen cooperation on production capacity [8]. The Belt and Road construction should focus on strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, capital output, and industrial integration [9]. However, research on trade cooperation among the Belt and Road countries has mostly focused on specific countries or industries. Investigations into the construction of a trade cooperation network among the Belt and Road countries are still rare. The construction of a cooperation network needs to be based on the cooperation network formation theory. Four main methods are available to study cooperation network formation: case study [10], experimental research [11], game theory [12], and social network analysis [13]. Based on these research methods, two interpretation paths of the cooperation network formation theory have been formed: benefit-based antecedents and opportunity-based antecedents [14]. The benefit-based antecedents place special emphasis on explaining the necessity of cooperation network formation through cost minimization or benefit maximization. For example, geographic proximity or shared technical and transport infrastructure can reduce costs [15; 16], and the cooperation between resource-complementary nodes increases social welfare [17]. Conversely, opportunity-based antecedents focus on the possibility of cooperation network formation.