Respected Heads of State, Government Leaders, Heads of International Organizations, Representatives of Countries, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends, Today, we gather here for the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum. On behalf of the Chinese government, the Chinese people, and personally, I extend a warm welcome to all our esteemed guests! This year marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative. The initial idea behind this initiative was to draw inspiration from the ancient Silk Road, focusing on connectivity.  It involves strengthening policy coordination, improving infrastructure connectivity, promoting unimpeded trade, enhancing financial integration, and fostering people-to-people bonds. It aims to inject new impetus into global economic growth, create new space for global development, and establish a new platform for international economic cooperation. Over the past 10 years, we have remained true to our original aspiration and worked together to transform the Belt and Road international cooperation from a concept to a vibrant reality, achieving fruitful results.

The Belt and Road cooperation has extended from Asia and Europe to Africa and Latin America, with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations signing agreements to jointly build the Belt and Road. We have hosted three Belt and Road International Cooperation Forums and established over 20 multilateral cooperation platforms in various professional fields. Belt and Road cooperation has evolved from the planning stage to implementation, with a substantial number of landmark projects and “small but beautiful” initiatives taking root. Belt and Road cooperation has expanded from physical connectivity to soft connectivity. The principles of consultation, cooperation, and shared benefits, openness, green, and clean development, as well as high standards and sustainability, have become important guiding principles for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Over the past decade, we have been committed to building a global network of connectivity, with economic corridors as its backbone, comprised of transportation routes on land and at sea, in the air, and over the Internet. 

This network has effectively promoted the flow of goods, capital, technology, and personnel among countries, revitalizing the ancient Silk Road for the new era. Trains traveling on railways, vehicles speeding on roads, interconnected flights linking countries, cargo ships cutting through waves, and the convenience of digital commerce have all become the new backbone of international trade in this new era. Modern airports, seaports, well-connected roads, and thriving economic and trade industrial cooperation zones have given birth to new economic corridors, igniting new growth engines and becoming the new avenues of commerce and trade in this new era. Diverse and vibrant cultural events, art festivals, expos, exhibitions, unique Lu Ban workshops, “One Belt, One Family,” “Bright Journey,” and other people-to-people exchange projects, along with the deepening collaboration between non-governmental organizations, think tanks, media, and youth exchanges, have composed the new Silk Road symphony of this new era. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Belt and Road became a lifeline and a path to health. China provided hundreds of billions of masks and 2.3 billion doses of vaccines to countries worldwide. 

We cooperated with more than 20 countries in vaccine production, making unique contributions to the efforts of our Belt and Road partners to combat the pandemic. China also received valuable support from more than 70 countries during the most severe period of the pandemic. Building the Belt and Road is guided by the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. It transcends differences in civilizations, cultures, social systems, and development stages, offering a new path for international exchanges, and establishing a new framework for international cooperation, uniting the world under the common goal of human development. Ladies and gentlemen, friends, The achievements of the past 10 years are precious, and the experiences gained are worth summarizing. We deeply understand that humanity is a community with a shared future. A better world benefits China, and a better China benefits the world. By building the Belt and Road, China’s opening-up has broadened, its inland areas have transformed from “rear areas” into “frontlines,” its coastal regions have further developed, and China’s market has become even more interconnected with the global market. 

China is now a major trading partner for over 140 countries and regions and a significant source of investment for an increasing number of nations. Whether it’s Chinese outbound investments or foreign investments in China, they represent friendship and cooperation, confidence and hope. We deeply understand that only through win-win cooperation can we achieve something, achieve it well, and achieve it on a large scale. As long as countries have the desire for cooperation and coordinated action, insurmountable barriers can be overcome, landlocked countries can become linked to the world, and underdeveloped areas can flourish into prosperous regions.  Countries with faster economic development should reach out to help their less advanced partners. By regarding each other as friends and partners and showing mutual respect, support, and assistance, we can make the world better and foster our own development. We deeply understand that the spirit of the Silk Road, which values peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit, is the most significant driving force behind the Belt and Road.

I have said before that the ancient Silk Road’s historical significance does not come from war horses and long spears but from caravans and goodwill. The Belt and Road encourages everyone to collect firewood to create a big flame and help each other to go further. It promotes well-being for ourselves and others, embodies connectivity and mutual benefit, and seeks common development and cooperation. It rejects ideological opposition, geopolitical games, and political blocs, opposes unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, and decoupling. The past decade has proven that the Belt and Road Initiative is on the right side of history, aligning with the logic of progress. We must maintain our composure in the face of adversity, stay true to our commitment to history, the people, and the world, join hands to address global risks and challenges, and create a peaceful, prosperous, cooperative, and win-win future for the benefit of our descendants.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, Today, the world is undergoing unprecedented changes, characterized by shifts in international relations, profound shifts in our era, and significant changes in human history. China is comprehensively advancing modernization with its unique characteristics. We are not pursuing a modernization that is solely for China but one that can be jointly realized with other developing countries. World modernization should be characterized by peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and common prosperity. On the path ahead, there will be both favorable conditions and counter-currents.  We need to adhere to our goals and actions, and persist in our efforts to realize the blueprint. China is willing to deepen its partnership with Belt and Road cooperation, facilitate a new stage of high-quality development, and make unremitting efforts to achieve modernization in all countries worldwide.

Here, I would like to announce eight actions to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation: Building a three-dimensional connectivity network for the Belt and Road. China will accelerate the high-quality development of the China-Europe railway express, participate in the construction of trans-Caspian international transport corridors, hold the China-Europe Railway Express International Cooperation Forum, and work with all parties to create a new Eurasian land logistics network supported by railway and road transportation. We will actively promote the integrated development of the Silk Road Maritime transportation, accelerate the construction of the land-sea new passage, and the development of the Silk Road in the air.

2.  Supporting the building of an open world economy. China will establish a pilot zone for “Silk Road e-commerce” cooperation and sign more free trade agreements and investment protection agreements with more countries. We will fully remove foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector. We will actively benchmark international high-standard trade and economic rules, deepen cross-border service trade and high-level opening in investment, expand market access for digital products, and deepen reforms in areas such as state-owned enterprises, the digital economy, intellectual property, and government procurement. China will hold a “Global Digital Trade Expo” every year. In the next five years (2024-2028), China’s goods and services import and export volume is expected to accumulate to more than 32 trillion US dollars and 5 trillion US dollars, respectively.

3. Advancing practical cooperation. China will coordinate the promotion of landmark projects and “small but beautiful” livelihood projects. The China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China will each set up CNY 350 billion financing windows, and the Silk Road Fund will add CNY 80 billion in funds to support Belt and Road projects through market-oriented and commercial methods. During this Forum, agreements have been reached on 97.2 billion US dollars of project cooperation through the Entrepreneur Conference. China will also implement 1,000 small livelihood assistance projects, promote vocational education cooperation between China and foreign countries, and strengthen security guarantees for Belt and Road projects and personnel.

4. Promoting green development. China will continue to deepen cooperation in green infrastructure, green energy, green transportation, and other fields, provide continued support for the Belt and Road International Alliance for Green Development, hold the Belt and Road Green Innovation Conference, establish dialogue and exchange mechanisms for the photovoltaic industry, and build a green low-carbon expert network. We will implement the Belt and Road Green Investment Principles and provide training for partner countries on 100,000 people by 2030.

5. Advancing technological innovation. China will continue to implement the Belt and Road Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan, hold the first Belt and Road Science and Technology Exchange Conference, expand the number of joint laboratories with various partners to 100 in the next five years, and support young scientists from all countries to work in China for short-term research. China will propose a global initiative on AI governance at this Forum and is willing to strengthen exchanges and dialogues with countries worldwide to jointly promote the healthy, orderly, and safe development of global AI.

6. Supporting people-to-people exchanges. China will host the Liangzhu Forum and deepen cultural dialogues with Belt and Road countries. Building on the establishment of the Silk Road International Theater, Art Festival, Museum, Art Gallery, and Library Alliance, we will set up the Silk Road Tourism City Alliance. We will continue to implement the “Silk Road” Chinese Government Scholarships.

7. Constructing a clean Belt and Road. China will work with its partners to publish the “Achievements and Prospects of Clean Construction of the Belt and Road,” introduce the “Advanced Principles of Clean Construction of the Belt and Road,” establish a corporate clean compliance evaluation system for the Belt and Road, and conduct clean construction research and training in cooperation with international organizations.

8. Improving the international cooperation mechanism of the Belt and Road. China will strengthen multilateral cooperation platform construction in energy, taxation, finance, green development, disaster reduction, anti-corruption, think tanks, media, and culture among the Belt and Road countries. We will continue to host the Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum and establish the Forum’s Secretariat.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, Over the past ten years, through wind and rain, we have achieved remarkable progress. The Belt and Road Initiative originated from China, but its achievements and opportunities belong to the world. Let us keep in mind the aspirations of the people, shoulder the historical responsibility, understand the pulse of the times, and continue moving forward with determination. Let us deepen international cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative, usher in a new stage of higher quality and higher-level development, promote modernization in all countries, build an open, interconnected, and mutually beneficial world, and work together to create a community of shared future for humanity.

I wish the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum complete success! Thank you.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China