BRI cooperation, based on principle of planning, building & benefiting together – Xi

Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping says that the Belt and Road cooperation is based on the principle of “planning together, building together, and benefiting together.”

“China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better,” he said.

He made these remarks while addressing the 3rd Belt and Road Forum opening ceremony which kicked off at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing this morning (18).

What has been achieved in the past 10 years demonstrates that Belt and Road cooperation is on the right side of history. It represents the advancing of our times, and it is the right path forward, President Xi added.

China will work with its BRI partner countries to strengthen the building of multilateral cooperation platforms covering energy, taxation, finance, green development, disaster reduction, anti-corruption, think tank, media, culture and other fields, President Xi further said.

8 steps 

President Xi also announced eight major steps China will take to support the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

These are : building a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network, supporting an open world economy, carrying out practical cooperation, promoting green development, advancing scientific and technological innovation, supporting people-to-people exchanges, promoting integrity-based Belt and Road cooperation and strengthening institutional building for international Belt and Road cooperation.

Historic opportunity

Meanwhile, addressing the event, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said the Belt and Road Initiative provides historic opportunity while hailing its contribution to global infrastructure.

The UN chief also said that there can be no development without development support, and many developing countries will be starved of the infrastructure they desperately need.

“This is why this meeting and the Belt and Road (Initiative) are so important,” he added.

“The Belt and Road (Initiative) demonstrates that we have a historic opportunity to build more than green cities, communities and transportation and power systems,” he said.

“Together, with the contribution of the Belt and Road Initiative, we can turn the infrastructure emergency to infrastructure opportunity,” said Guterres.  

A host of world leaders

The opening ceremony of the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative forum was participated by world leaders from 20 nations as well as representatives from over 130 countries and 30 international organizations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also addressed the gathering.

The forum also featured three high-level sub-forums on connectivity, green development, digital economy, as well as several seminars.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe attended the opening ceremony, where leaders from various states were accorded military honours and gathered for a group photograph alongside the Chinese President. 

– Shanika Jayasekara reporting from Beijing

(Pics : Xinhua)