Here is the complete text of the speech of President Xi Jinping of China at the opening ceremony of the 3rd “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum (BRF 2023) on 18 October 2023 in Beijing:
[This is machine translation from Mandarin Chinese. Some passages have been highlighted editorially. nCa]
Build a world that is open, inclusive, interconnected, and develops together
Dear heads of state and government, Dear heads of international organizations, Representatives of various countries, ladies and gentlemen, friends:
Today, we are holding the opening ceremony of the third “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum here. On behalf of the Chinese government and 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 proposing the Belt and Road Initiative. The original intention of proposing this initiative is to learn from the ancient Silk Road, take interconnection as the main line, and strengthen policy communication, facility connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds with other countries, so as to inject new momentum into world economic growth and open up new avenues for global development. New space to create a new platform for international economic cooperation.
Over the past 10 years, we have adhered to our original aspirations and worked hand in hand to promote the “Belt and Road” international cooperation from scratch, flourish and achieve fruitful results.
The “Belt and Road” cooperation extends from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America. More than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations have signed cooperation documents on the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, held three “Belt and Road” international cooperation summit forums, and established 20 Multilateral cooperation platform in multiple professional fields.
The “One Belt and One Road” cooperation has entered the “meticulous” stage from the “general freehand brushwork”, transforming the planning map into a real picture, and a large number of iconic 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. Extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, openness, greenness and integrity, high standards that benefit people’s livelihood and sustainability have become important guiding principles for high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Over the past 10 years, we have been committed to building a global interconnection network led by economic corridors, with major channels and information highways as the skeleton, and relying on railways, highways, airports, ports, and pipeline networks, covering land, sea, space, and the Internet. We have effectively promoted the circulation of goods, capital, technology, and personnel from various countries, and promoted 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 cutting through waves, and fast and convenient digital e-commerce have become the bells and sails of international trade in the new era.
Hydropower stations, wind power stations, photovoltaic power stations, oil and gas pipelines, and increasingly intelligent and accessible power transmission networks have made energy shortages no longer a bottleneck for development, allowing developing countries to realize their dreams of green and low-carbon development. This has become an oasis and beacon of sustainable development in the new era.
Modern airports and terminals, smooth roads, and rising economic and trade industrial cooperation parks have spawned new economic corridors, stimulated new growth drivers, and become business avenues and stations in the new era.
During these exciting cultural years, art festivals, fairs, exhibitions, unique cultural exchange projects such as Luban Workshop, “Silk Road Family”, “Bright Journey”, and continuously deepening exchanges between non-governmental organizations, think tanks, media, and youth , playing the Silk Road movement of the new era.
After the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the “Belt and Road” has become a road to life and health. China has provided tens of billions of masks and 2.3 billion doses of vaccines to various countries, and has cooperated with more than 20 countries to produce vaccines, making unique contributions to the Belt and Road partners’ fight against the epidemic. When the epidemic was at its most severe, China received valuable support from more than 70 countries.
The joint construction of the “Belt and Road” adheres to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, spanning different civilizations, cultures, social systems and differences in development stages, opening up new paths for exchanges between countries, building a new framework for international cooperation, and bringing together the greatest convention for the common development of mankind. number.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends!
The achievements made in the past 10 years are precious and the experience is worth summarizing.
We deeply realize that the mankind is an interdependent community with a shared future. When the world is good, China will be good; when China is good, the world will be better. Through the joint construction of the “One Belt and One Road”, China’s door to the outside world is opening wider and wider. Inland areas have changed from “defenders” to “forwards”, coastal areas have opened up and developed to a higher level, and the Chinese market has become more closely connected with the world market. . China is already the main trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions, and the main source of investment for an increasing number of countries. Both China’s overseas investment and foreign investment in China demonstrate friendship and cooperation, as well as confidence and hope.
We deeply realize that only win-win cooperation can accomplish things, do good things, and do great things. As long as all countries have the desire to cooperate and coordinate actions, natural chasms can be opened up, “land-locked countries” can become “land-linked countries”, and lowlands of development can become highlands of prosperity. Countries with faster economic development need to support partners who are temporarily lagging behind. As long as everyone regards each other as friends and partners, respects, supports, and achieves each other, giving roses to others will leave a lingering fragrance in your hands, and help achieve others will also help yourself. Seeing other people’s development as a threat and economic interdependence as a risk will not allow you to live better and develop faster.
We deeply realize that the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit is the most important source of strength for jointly building the “Belt and Road”. I once said that the reason why the ancient Silk Road is famous in history is not war horses and spears, but camel teams and goodwill; it is not strong ships and sharp cannons, but treasure ships and friendship. The joint construction of the “Belt and Road” emphasizes that when everyone adds fuel and helps each other, we can go a long way. What we advocate is that we can live well and let others live well. What we practice is interconnection, mutual benefit and reciprocity. What we pursue is Common development and win-win cooperation. We do not engage in ideological confrontation, geopolitical games, or group political confrontations. We oppose unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, and “decoupling and breaking links.”
The 10-year history has proved 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 remain calm even when flying through chaotic clouds, and with a responsible attitude toward history, the people, and the world, we must work together to respond to various global risks and challenges and create a world of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win for future generations a bright future.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends!
Currently, changes in the world, the times, and history are unfolding in an unprecedented way. China is comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation with Chinese-style modernization. What we pursue is not China’s modernization alone, but we look forward to working with other countries, including developing countries, to realize modernization together. World modernization should be modernization of peaceful development, modernization of mutually beneficial cooperation, and modernization of common prosperity. On the road ahead, there will be good times and bad times. We must adhere to goal orientation and action orientation, stay firm on the green hills, and draw a blueprint to the end. China is willing to deepen the “Belt and Road” cooperative partnership with all parties, promote the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” 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 Initiative:
1. Build a three-dimensional interconnection network along the Belt and Road Initiative. China will accelerate the high-quality development of China-Europe trains, participate in the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, successfully host the China-Europe International Cooperation Forum, and work with all parties to build a new logistics channel for the Eurasian continent supported by direct railway and highway transportation. Actively promote the integrated development of “Silk Road and Maritime Transport” ports, shipping and trade, and accelerate the construction of the New Land-Sea Corridor and the Air Silk Road.
2. 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. Comprehensively remove restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector. Actively follow international high-standard economic and trade rules, further promote high-level opening up of cross-border service trade and investment, expand market access for digital products, and deepen reforms in the fields of state-owned enterprises, digital economy, intellectual property, and government procurement. China will hold the “Global Digital Trade Expo” every year. In the next five years (2024-2028), China’s import and export volume of trade in goods and trade in services is expected to exceed US$32 trillion and US$5 trillion in total.
3. Carry out practical cooperation. China will coordinate the promotion of landmark projects and “small but beautiful” people’s livelihood projects. The China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China will each set up a financing window of 350 billion yuan, and the Silk Road Fund will add 80 billion yuan of new funds to support the joint construction of “Belt and Road” projects in a market-oriented and commercial manner. The Entrepreneurs Conference held during this summit forum reached a project cooperation agreement of US$97.2 billion. China will also implement 1,000 small livelihood assistance projects, promote Sino-foreign vocational education cooperation through Luban Workshop, etc., and work with all parties to strengthen the safety of projects and personnel involved in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”.
4. Promote green development. China will continue to deepen cooperation in green infrastructure, green energy, green transportation and other fields, increase support for the “Belt and Road” Green Development International Alliance, continue to hold the “Belt and Road” Green Innovation Conference, and build a photovoltaic industry dialogue and exchange mechanism and a green and low-carbon Expert network. Implement the “Belt and Road” green investment principles and conduct 100,000 training sessions for partner countries by 2030.
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 built with all parties to 100 in the next five years, and support young scientists from all over the world to come to China for short-term work. China will propose a global artificial intelligence governance initiative at this forum and is willing to strengthen exchanges and dialogue with other countries to jointly promote the healthy, orderly and safe development of global artificial intelligence.
6. Support people-to-people exchanges. China will hold the “Liangzhu Forum” to deepen civilized dialogue with countries co-building the “Belt and Road”. On the basis of the Silk Road International Theater, Art Festival, Museum, Art Gallery, and Library Alliance, the Silk Road Tourism Cities Alliance was established. Continue to implement the “Silk Road” Chinese Government Scholarship Program.
7. Build a path of integrity. China will work with its partners to release the “Belt and Road Initiative’s Integrity Construction Achievements and Prospects”, launch the “Belt and Road Initiative’s Integrity Construction Advanced Principles”, establish a “Belt and Road Initiative” enterprise integrity and compliance evaluation system, and cooperate with international organizations to carry out the “Belt and Road Initiative” “Integrity Research and Training.
8. Improve the “Belt and Road” international cooperation mechanism. China will strengthen the construction of multilateral cooperation platforms with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative in the fields of energy, taxation, finance, green development, disaster reduction, anti-corruption, think tanks, media, culture and other fields. Continue to hold the “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum and establish a secretariat for the summit 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” originates from China, and the results and opportunities belong to the world. Let us keep in mind the expectations of the people, bravely shoulder the historical burden, keep abreast of the pulse of the times, build on the past and forge ahead courageously, deepen the international cooperation on the “Belt and Road”, and welcome new developments of higher quality and higher levels in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”. Promote the modernization of all countries in the world, build a world that is open, inclusive, interconnected, and common development, and jointly promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind!
I wish the 3rd “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum a complete success!
Thank you all. /// nCa, 19 October 2023 [original text in Mandarin Chinese from BRF-2023 website]
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