Which countries does the Belt and Road Initiative cover? Wang Yi said that we have no intention to draw clear geographical boundaries for the Belt and Road Initiative, because the Belt and Road Initiative is essentially an initiative of international cooperation and can and should be open to all like-minded countries.
"This initiative is not a 'member club', but a 'circle of friends' for extensive participation." Wang Yi emphasized that as long as you agree with the spirit of the Silk Road, everyone is an equal partner and can participate in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" in the way they think is appropriate, and share opportunities from the development of the "Belt and Road".
On April 18, 2017, Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced at the China-Foreign Media Briefing Conference of the Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit forum held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit forum will be held in Beijing from May 14 to 15. President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the forum and preside over the leaders' roundtable summit and other related activities.
At the invitation of Xi Jinping, 28 heads of state and government have confirmed to attend the summit forum. These countries include Argentina, Belarus, Chile, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Philippines, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Poland, Serbia, Spain, and Sri Lanka.
At that time, 89 heads and representatives from 61 international organizations including UN Secretary-General Guterres, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and International Monetary Fund President Lagarde will also visit Beijing.
In addition, officials, scholars, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, media and other people from 110 countries have confirmed their participation in the forum. Among them, there are 9 deputy prime ministers, 7 foreign ministers and more than 190 ministerial officials from 92 countries. The total number of delegates will exceed 1,200.
Wang Yi said that the delegates included Asia, Eurasia, Europe, North America, Latin America and Africa. It can be said that this is another important international event and home diplomacy held by China after Beijing APEC and Hangzhou G20. The
forum will be composed of the opening ceremony, the leaders' roundtable summit, the high-level meeting and other parts. The opening ceremony was held on the morning of May 14, and Xi Jinping will attend and deliver a keynote speech. After the opening ceremony, a high-level meeting will be held, adopting the "1+6" model, namely 1 plenary meeting and 6 parallel thematic meetings. Leaders of relevant countries and heads of international organizations will attend the plenary meeting, and ministers of various countries and representatives from all walks of life in China and abroad will attend parallel thematic meetings. The Leaders' Roundtable Summit will be held throughout the day on May 15. Xi Jinping presided over the whole process, and 28 foreign heads of state, as well as Guterres, Kim Yong Kim and Lagarde will attend the roundtable summit.
Wang Yi pointed out that the forum is expected to form a number of achievements that are conducive to promoting global governance. During the forum, more than 20 countries and various international organizations will negotiate and sign multiple cooperation documents and agreements to clarify the direction of cooperation, promote the implementation of projects, and improve the support system such as financial technology. The forum will also publish the "Beijing Declaration on International Cooperation of the Belt and Road Initiative".
is not a "member club", but a "circle of friends" with wide participation
What countries does the "Belt and Road" cover? Wang Yi said that we have no intention of defining clear geographical boundaries for the Belt and Road Initiative, because the Belt and Road Initiative is essentially an initiative of international cooperation and can and should be open to all like-minded countries.
"This initiative is not a 'member club', but a 'circle of friends' for extensive participation." Wang Yi emphasized that as long as you agree with the spirit of the Silk Road, everyone is an equal partner and can participate in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" in the way they think is appropriate, and share opportunities from the development of the "Belt and Road".
The Belt and Road Initiative is gaining more and more international consensus. Wang Yi pointed out that over the past three years, more than 100 countries and international organizations have actively responded to this initiative, including more than 40 countries and international organizations, and a number of major projects have also begun to be implemented.
On November 17, 2016, the "Belt and Road" initiative was first written into the resolution of the 71st United Nations General Assembly.On March 17 this year, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2344, which included the concept of "building a community with a shared future for mankind" for the first time, calling for strengthening regional economic cooperation through the construction of the "Belt and Road".
What best reflects the attractiveness of the "Belt and Road" initiative is the expanding "circle of friends" of Asian infrastructure investment banks. On March 23, the AIIB announced that it would approve 13 members, including Hong Kong, to join the AIIB, and the number of members rose to 70. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun later announced that 15 members will join this year, with a number of members close to 90.
initiative comes from China, but the results benefit the world
. In the context of continued sluggish international market demand, China has achieved gratifying results in economic and trade cooperation with countries along the route in the joint construction and cooperation of the "Belt and Road". The achievements of the "Belt and Road" initiative are benefiting more and more "friends".
htmlOn February 21, then Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng said that in 2016, the total import and export volume between China and countries along the route was 6.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 0.6%. The newly signed external contract contract was US$126 billion, an increase of 36%. Direct investment in countries along the route was US$14.5 billion, accounting for 8.5% of China's total foreign investment.Gao Hucheng also stated that China has deeply integrated the economies of countries along the route. Chinese companies have built 56 economic and trade cooperation zones in more than 20 countries along the "Belt and Road", covering multiple fields, with a total investment of more than US$18.5 billion, creating nearly US$1.1 billion in tax revenue and 180,000 jobs for the host country.
Since the beginning of this year, China's investment and cooperation with countries along the route have continued to heat up. In the first quarter, Chinese companies added new non-financial direct investment in 43 countries along the route totaling US$2.95 billion, accounting for 14.4% of the total foreign investment in the same period, up 5.4 percentage points from the same period last year. 952 new foreign contract project contracts were signed in 61 countries along the "Belt and Road"; the turnover was US$14.39 billion, an increase of 4.7% year-on-year, accounting for 49.2% of the total amount in the same period, accounting for half of the total.
However, the "Belt and Road" Big Data Report (2016)" shows that there is a big gap in the participation of the "Belt and Road" construction in various provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). Provinces and cities in the eastern coastal areas scored the highest score in the comprehensive evaluation, while the northwest and southwest areas need to be strengthened. Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Tianjin, Fujian, Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, Yunnan and Beijing ranked in the top ten in the comprehensive scores.
(Source: 21st Century Business Herald Zheng Qingting Beijing Report)
(Editor: Zhao Haijian)
