Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechisaid Friday the Belt and RoadInitiative offers strong support to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 sustainable development agenda. Yang made the remarks when meeting with Peter Thomson, president of the UN General Assembly, who is in Beijing to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation scheduled for May 14 to 15.
Turkey will play a key role in the Belt and RoadInitiative as its geographical and cultural bridge links with east and west, and it's an indispensable partner with China, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Speaking at a press conference ahead of his visit to China and attendance of the Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum in Beijing, Erdogan said that the initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinpingin 2013 is "highly significant and historic, aiming at establishing a comprehensive infrastructure, transportation, investment, energy and trade network.
Members of the People's Liberation Army honor guards prepare to welcome foreign delegations to the Belt and RoadForum for International Cooperation which will be held in Beijing on Sunday and Monday. Photo: IC Chinese investments related to the Belt and Road initiative have totaled $60 billion since 2013 and a large portion of outbound investment in the future will go to countries joining the initiative, a State planning agency official said on Friday.
The Belt and RoadInitiative is forging a "version 2.0" of globalization, serving as a new model for global sustainable growth, an energy expert in Hong Kong has said.