More than 1,300 people from more than 130 nations, NGO and all major institutions like UN, World Bank, IMF etc joined the opening of OBOR, the biggest gathering outisde United Nations.
Only sour grapes would take this event as insignificant.
The UN Chief gave speech in OBOR.
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The highest-level forum on the Belt and Road opened Sunday in Beijing, an important boost to the grand plan for interconnected development and sustainable growth.
Before heads of state and government from 29 foreign countries and delegates from more than 130 countries, Chinese President
Xi Jinping, who proposed the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, outlined principles and measures for advancing the open and inclusive plan in a keynote speech at the opening of the two-day event.
Special envoys and delegates from many developed countries, such as
France,
Germany and the
United States, attended the meeting. Greater consensus is being built among countries with different political systems and cultures to push the initiative.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Belt and Road Initiative is "promising" and his country has supported the initiative.
Given the challenges like protectionism and development gaps, it is necessary to find new development engines to promote justice and equality, he said.
The coordination of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union strategy will boost the Eurasian development, said Putin.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Belt and Road is an important initiative which connects Asia and Europe and other continents.
The mechanism will promote sustainable development and improve the lives of people and bring mutual benefits to all countries, he said, confident of its success at the forum.
"The speech is very very impressive and presents a very clear roadmap for the future," said
Zafaruddin Mahmood, a delegate from Pakistan.
Xi pledged more financial support for the Belt and Road construction, including an additional 100 billion yuan (about 14.5 billion U.S. dollars) to the Silk Road Fund, and assistance worth 60 billion yuan in the coming three years to developing countries and international organizations participating in the initiative.
Hailing the solid progress of the initiative in the past four years, Xi proposed five guiding principles for the pursuit of the Belt and Road initiative: building the Belt and Road into a road of peace, prosperity, opening up, innovation and connecting different civilizations. He outlined priorities such as infrastructure and industrial cooperation.
"Xi's speech is encouraging and points out the priorities of the plan. The forum undoubtedly is a landmark event for economic and trade cooperation," said
Mirzohid Rahimov, a delegate from Uzbekistan.
In a complicated international political and economic environment, the Belt and Road Initiative has met the need for win-win development and the common interests of most countries, he said.
The five fields of connectivity -- policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people -- are important for all countries, he added.
China will play a very important role in multilateralism with the Belt and Road Initiative, basically a global development vision, said
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, mentioning the Chinese proverb "If you want to get rich, first build a road."
The initiative reflects a new model of international cooperation and interaction with mutually beneficial cooperation through the connection of policies and development strategies.
"President Xi was talking about the future. He analyzed the challenges, but said more about solutions,"
Umberto de Pretto, secretary-general of the International Road Transport Union.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a vision of the future of the whole planet, not just China or Eurasia, he said.
"Since the launch of this initiative, we have seen increasing support from governments, businesses and other stakeholders within and beyond the Belt and Road region," said
Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.
He regards the Belt and Road Initiative as a shining model for regional collaboration, development and growth.
This initiative respects the differences between countries and their various paths for development, not imposing a specific plan or ideological framework, but seeking to create common ground for cooperation and mutual benefit, he said.
"Xi's commitment is taken very seriously and it shows that China is engaging the world like never before and I think that is the overarching vision that he gave," said
Robert Lawrence Kuhn, an international corporate strategist.
"China is not seeking hegemony, China is seeking its rightful role," said Kuhn.
Li Xiangyang, a researcher with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the forum will gather consensus and dismiss doubts.
"The Belt and Road is an unprecedented project of vast magnitude. It is important for us to explore ways to solve problems," he said.
"The initiative is far beyond the economic strategy of any single country or region, its mission is to make the world more innovative, dynamic, and equal,"
Alibaba founder Jack Ma said.
"The Belt and Road is a great vision with a bright future," he said.
Another news report:-
Spotlight:
World leaders chant Belt & Road chorus
Source: Xinhua|
2017-05-14 21:52:18|
Editor: Hou Qiang
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- World leaders brainstormed the advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative at a two-day event starting here Sunday, joining China in a chorus of common prosperity.
Characterized by extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the Belt and Road links countries and regions that account for about 60 percent of the world's population and 30 percent of global economic output.
Speaking at the opening of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation,
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the ambitious intercontinental initiative is "rooted in a shared vision for global development."
A PROJECT OF THE CENTURY
Chinese President
Xi Jinping, in a keynote speech delivered at the international gathering attended by heads of state and government from 29 countries, among thousands more others, said the initiative is "a project of the century" that will benefit people across the world.
The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013 consists of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.
"Spanning thousands of miles and years, the ancient silk routes embody the spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit," Xi told an audience of more than 1,500.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the historical experience of cooperation between countries linked by the ancient Silk Road through Asia, Europe and Africa is important in the 21st century when the world is facing "very serious challenges."
Calling the Belt and Road Initiative an example of cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, transport and industry, the Russian president said his country has supported the initiative from the very beginning.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said the breadth of the initiative, the level of participation and its strategic dimensions, highlight its capacity to become the biggest economic cooperation project in place today.
Czech President Milos Zeman, for his part, said he salutes China for this courageous, long-term project.
Over the past years, the Belt and Road Initiative has grown from an embryonic proposal into a network, while a cooperation pattern of shared growth through discussion and collaboration has taken shape.
As of the end of 2016, more than 100 countries and international organizations have expressed their support for the initiative. China has signed 46 cooperation agreements with 39 countries and international organizations, covering a broad range of fields.
The Belt and Road Initiative brings enormous benefits to all involved and serves as a main driver of the global transformation under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, said
Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly who is also present at the forum.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND BEYOND
The "courageous" vision of the Belt and Road Initiative is becoming a reality and bearing rich fruit in more fields than expected.
Four years after it was proposed, Belt and Road countries have seen increased connectivity in policies, infrastructure, trade and finance, as well as strengthened people-to-people bonds.
According to
World Trade Organization Director General Roberto Azevedo, infrastructure is essential, a point also highlighted by
special envoy of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Minister of Economic Affairs Brigitte Zypries.
"A lack of proper transport network was on top of the trade cost list and the One belt, One Road is hugely important in responding to this need," Azevedo told an international audience at the high-level meeting of the Belt and Road forum.
Calling the forum "a new and decisive step in the progress of the initiative,"
special envoy of France's just sworn-in President Emmanuel Macron, former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin noted the development potential brought by the Belt and Road Initiative in tourism, financing, culture and environment.
"The Belt and Road Initiative is about connecting cultures, communities, economies, and people, and about adding new economic flavors by creating infrastructure projects that are based on 21st-century expertise and governance standards," said
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde.
Greece also highly values the initiative, with
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras saying it brings important opportunities for people-to-people contact, cultural exchanges and tourism.
OPEN PLATFORM
With various advantages and needs, the partners pay close attention to keep the initiative open, inclusive and beneficial to all.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told the forum: "Let me make it very clear, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, an economic undertaking, is open to all countries in the region."
Sitting at the crossroad of Asia and Europe, Turkey wishes to bring its unique geographical location into full play, said the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Special envoy of British Prime Minister Theresa May, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, said his country is "a natural partner" in the grand development initiative.
He expects that with China driving at the east, and Britain at the western end of the Belt and Road, all countries along the routes could work together to bring more jobs, growth and higher living standard for all people.
Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, said the Belt and Road Initiative is "a pioneering, international framework based on an open platform concept."
For
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, the Belt and Road Initiative can meet the aspiration of those people living in the countries that are still in need of development support.
For ordinary people, the initiative could well represent something simple, "like a fragrant cup of tea," according to Lagarde, which has for centuries "brought cultures, communities and people closer together," and is ready to burst with new economic flavors.
