China will host the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in October, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Thursday.
Wang told a daily news briefing that focusing on connectivity as the main theme, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to provide a new platform for international economic cooperation and add fresh impetus to participating countries’ development and world economic growth.
“Over the past decade, it has become a popular global public good and international cooperation platform,” Wang said.
Wang said the forum is not only the highlight in commemorative events to mark the BRI’s 10th anniversary, but also an important platform for all partners to plan high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
“China is in communication with all parties concerned on the preparation for the forum,” Wang added.
Wang said the BRI has evolved from broad strokes to refined details, and become the most popular international public good and largest-scale international cooperation platform with remarkable achievements since it was proposed 10 years ago.
Over the past decade, the BRI’s circle of friends has continued to expand, Wang said, adding that China has signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations.
The vision of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation supported by the spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, open, green and clean cooperation, and a high-standard, people-centered and sustainable approach has been incorporated in the Joint Communique of the Leaders’ Roundtable of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Wang added.
“Over the past decade, Belt and Road cooperation has achieved fruitful outcomes,” Wang said, adding it has established more than 3,000 cooperation projects and galvanized nearly 1 trillion U.S. dollars of investment, creating an array of national landmarks, livelihood projects, and milestones of cooperation.
“A large number of transport infrastructure projects have been launched, greatly boosting the development of BRI partners. Clean, efficient and quality green energy projects have lit up the road to future development of partner countries. Projects closely linked to people’s daily life and aimed at improving people’s wellbeing in areas of poverty reduction, agricultural technology and vocational education have effectively increased the living standards of people in BRI partner countries,” Wang said.
According to the World Bank, by 2030, BRI transport infrastructure, if fully implemented, is expected to increase global real income by 0.7 percent to 2.9 percent, lifting 7.6 million people from extreme poverty and 32 million people from moderate poverty, Wang added.
Wang said that over the past decade, high quality Belt and Road cooperation has progressed in solid steps.
“In implementing BRI projects, we actively fulfilled our duty for environmental protection, improved ecological environment and preserved biological diversity,” Wang said.
Wang said that China has signed over 50 cooperation documents on ecological environmental protection with relevant parties, established the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition, and launched the Initiative for Belt and Road Partnership on Green Development with 31 countries.
According to Wang, former Under-Secretary-General of the UN Erik Solheim said that the BRI has become the biggest driving force for global green development.
“BRI partners have worked actively to carry out international cooperation in emerging areas, such as digital economy. The Digital Silk Road is becoming a digital bridge facilitating a new type of globalization. China has also worked with cooperation partners to actively promote the building of a clean Belt and Road, enhance anti-corruption international cooperation, and jointly launched the Beijing Initiative for the Clean Silk Road,” Wang added.
“We will take the holding of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation as an opportunity to take stock of what we have achieved and chart the course for the future, guide the continuous advancement of high-quality BRI cooperation, lay down a pathway toward common development and draw a beautiful picture of green development, and open up a chapter in the new era for the Silk Road featuring mutual benefit and win-win results between countries, friendship and cultural affinity between peoples and mutual learning between civilizations,” Wang said.
Shayne Heffernan
