Beijing, 10 Oct (Xinhua) --
Build an open, inclusive, interconnected and common development world
——Keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation
(Beijing, October 2023, 10)
President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping
Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Heads of international organizations,
Representatives of States,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen, friends,
Today, we are here to hold the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, and in my own name, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the guests.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of my proposal to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative. The original intention of this initiative is to learn from the ancient Silk Road, take connectivity as the main line, strengthen policy communication, facility connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people ties with other countries, inject new momentum into world economic growth, open up new space for global development, and create a new platform for international economic cooperation.
Over the past 10 years, we have adhered to our original aspiration and walked hand in hand to promote the "Belt and Road" international cooperation from scratch, flourished and achieved fruitful results.
Belt and Road cooperation extends from Eurasia to Africa and Latin America, with more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations signing cooperation documents on jointly building the Belt and Road, holding three Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and establishing multilateral cooperation platforms in more than 3 professional fields.
The "Belt and Road" cooperation has moved from "big letters" to the stage of "gongbi painting", transforming planning maps into real pictures, and a large number of landmark projects and "small but beautiful" projects that benefit people's livelihood have taken root.
Belt and Road cooperation has expanded from hard connectivity to soft connectivity. Consultation, co-construction and sharing, openness, greenness and integrity, and high standards to benefit people's livelihood and sustainability have become important guiding principles for high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road".
Over the past 10 years, we have been committed to building a global interconnection network led by economic corridors, with large corridors and information highways as the framework, railways, highways, airports, ports and pipeline networks as the support, covering land, sea, sky and network, effectively promoting the large-scale circulation of goods, capital, technology and personnel from various countries, and promoting the ancient Silk Road that has lasted for thousands of years to rejuvenate in the new era.
Trains running on railways, cars galloping on highways, air flights connecting countries, freighters chopping waves, and fast and convenient digital e-commerce have become the camel bells and sail shadows of international trade in the new era.
Hydropower stations, wind power stations, photovoltaic power stations, oil and gas pipelines, and increasingly intelligent transmission networks make energy shortage no longer a bottleneck for development, and the dream of green and low-carbon development in developing countries can be lit up, becoming an oasis and beacon of sustainable development in the new era.
Modern airports and terminals, smooth roads, and economic and trade industrial cooperation parks have spawned new economic corridors, stimulated new growth momentum, and become commercial and trade avenues and post stations in the new era.
Wonderful cultural years, art festivals, expositions, exhibitions, unique Luban workshops, "Silk Road Family Family", "Bright Walk" and other people-to-people exchange projects, deepening exchanges of non-governmental organizations, think tanks, media and youth, playing the Silk Road music in the new era.
After the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the "Belt and Road" has become the road of life and health. China has provided tens of billions of masks and 23.20 billion doses of vaccines to various countries, and cooperated with more than 70 countries to produce vaccines, making unique contributions to the fight against the epidemic among the "Belt and Road" partners. China also received valuable support from more than <> countries at the height of the epidemic.
The Belt and Road Initiative adheres to consultation, joint construction and sharing, transcends differences in different civilizations, cultures, social systems and stages of development, opens up new paths for exchanges among countries, builds a new framework for international cooperation, and brings together the greatest common denominator of common development of mankind.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends!
The achievements made in the past 10 years are invaluable, and the experience is worth summarizing.
We are deeply aware that mankind is an interdependent community with a shared future. If the world is good, China will be good; If China is good, the world will be better. Through the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", China's door to the outside world has opened wider and wider, the inland areas have changed from "defenders" to "forwards", the opening up and development of coastal areas has reached a higher level, and the Chinese market has become more closely linked with the world market. China is already a major trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions, and a major source of investment for more and more countries. Whether it is China's outbound investment or foreign investment in China, it shows friendship and cooperation, and reflects confidence and hope.
We deeply realize that only win-win cooperation can accomplish things, do good things and do great things. As long as countries have the desire to cooperate and take coordinated action, the Heavenly Graben can be changed, the "land-locked countries" can become "land-linked countries", and the development depression can become a prosperous highland. Countries with faster economic development should pull in partners who are temporarily lagging behind. As long as everyone regards each other as friends and partners, respects each other, supports each other, and achieves each other, giving roses is a lingering fragrance, and achieving others is also helping themselves. Seeing the development of others as a threat and economic interdependence as a risk will not make one's life better and develop faster.
We deeply realize that the Silk Road spirit of peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit is the most important source of strength for the joint construction of the Belt and Road. I once said that the ancient Silk Road is famous in history not by war horses and spears, but by camel caravans and goodwill; Not strong ships and cannons, but treasure ships and friendship. The joint construction of the "Belt and Road" focuses on everyone collecting firewood and flames, helping each other to go far, advocating their own good life and letting others live well, practicing interconnection, mutual benefit and reciprocity, and seeking common development and win-win cooperation. We do not engage in ideological confrontation, geopolitical games, bloc political confrontation, unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, and "decoupling and breaking chains".
The 10-year process proves that the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" stands on the right side of history, conforms to the logic of the progress of the times, and follows the right path in the world. We must have the determination to fly through the clouds calmly, and work together to cope with various global risks and challenges with an attitude of responsibility to history, people and the world, so as to create a better future of peace, development, cooperation and win-win results for future generations.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends!
At present, the changes in the world, the times, and history are unfolding in an unprecedented way. China is comprehensively promoting the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization. What we are pursuing is not China's own modernization, but we look forward to working with other countries including developing countries to jointly realize modernization. World modernization should be a modernization of peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity. On the road ahead, there will be good times and adverse currents. We must adhere to the goal-oriented and action-oriented, firmly grasp the green mountain and never relax, and draw a blueprint to the end. China is willing to deepen the Belt and Road partnership with all parties, push the Belt and Road Initiative into a new stage of high-quality development, and make unremitting efforts to realize the modernization of all countries in the world.
Here, I would like to announce China's eight actions to support high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road:
1. Build a three-dimensional connectivity network for the Belt and Road. China will accelerate the high-quality development of China-Europe express trains, participate in the construction of the trans-Caspian international transport corridor, hold the China-Europe Express International Cooperation Forum, and work with all parties to build a new logistics channel in Eurasia supported by direct rail and road transportation. Actively promote the integrated development of port and trade of the "Silk Road Shipping", and accelerate the construction of new land-sea channels and air Silk Road.
Second, support the building of an open world economy. China will create a "Silk Road E-commerce" cooperation pilot zone and negotiate free trade agreements and investment protection agreements with more countries. Completely remove restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector. Take the initiative to promote high-level opening up of cross-border service trade and investment in accordance with international high-standard economic and trade rules, expand market access for digital products, and deepen reforms in state-owned enterprises, digital economy, intellectual property rights, government procurement and other fields. China will hold the "Global Digital Trade Expo" every year. In the next five years (5-2024), China's import and export volume of goods trade and service trade is expected to exceed 2028 trillion US dollars and 32 trillion US dollars.
3500. Carry out pragmatic cooperation. China will make overall plans to promote landmark projects and "small but beautiful" livelihood projects. The China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China will each set up a financing window of 800 billion yuan, and the Silk Road Fund will add 972 billion yuan to support the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" projects in a market-oriented and commercial manner. The entrepreneur conference held during this summit forum reached a project cooperation agreement of 1000.<> billion US dollars. China will also implement <>,<> small-scale livelihood assistance projects, promote Sino-foreign vocational education cooperation through Luban workshops, and strengthen the safety and security of personnel for the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" projects and personnel with all parties.
2030. Promote green development. China will continue to deepen cooperation in green infrastructure, green energy and green transportation, increase support for the Belt and Road International Alliance for Green Development, continue to hold the Belt and Road Green Innovation Conference, and build a dialogue and exchange mechanism for the photovoltaic industry and a green and low-carbon expert network. Implement the Belt and Road Green Investment Principles and conduct 10,<> training sessions for Partner Countries by <>.
5. Promote scientific and 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 jointly built with all parties to 100 in the next five years, and support young scientists from all countries to work in China for a short time. China will put forward a global AI governance initiative at this forum, and is willing to strengthen exchanges and dialogues with other countries to jointly promote the healthy, orderly and safe development of global AI.
6. Support people-to-people exchanges. China will hold the "Liangzhu Forum" to deepen the dialogue among civilizations with countries that jointly build the "Belt and Road". On the basis of the Silk Road International Theatres, Arts Festivals, Museums, Art Galleries and Library Alliance, the Silk Road Tourism Cities Alliance was established. Continue to implement the "Silk Road" Chinese Government Scholarship Program.
7. Building a clean road. China will work with partners to release the Achievements and Prospects, the High-Level Principles for Integrity Construction along the Belt and Road, establish a integrity and compliance evaluation system for Belt and Road enterprises, and cooperate with international organizations to conduct research and training on integrity along the Belt and Road.
8. Improve the "Belt and Road" international cooperation mechanism. China will work with BRI countries to strengthen the construction of multilateral cooperation platforms in the fields of energy, taxation, finance, green development, disaster reduction, anti-corruption, think tanks, media and culture. Continue to hold the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and establish the secretariat of the Forum.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends!
Ten years of wind and rain, ten years of spring and autumn. The joint construction of the "Belt and Road" originated from China, and the achievements and opportunities belong to the world. Let us keep in mind the expectations of the people, bravely shoulder the burden of history, keep the pulse of the times, carry on the past and forge ahead, forge ahead courageously, deepen international cooperation on the "Belt and Road", welcome the new development of higher quality and higher level of the "Belt and Road", promote the modernization of all countries in the world, build an open, inclusive, interconnected and common development world, and jointly promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind!
I wish the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation a complete success!
Thank you.