The 2017 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road kicked off today in Dunhuang, northwestern China’s Gansu province.

A total of 126 countries and international organizations and representatives from 265 media outlets are participating in the forum. The form is themed as, “New Cooperation Prospect: Towards a Community of Common Destiny,” and is being co-hosted by the People’s Daily and the Gansu Government.

Zhang Ping, National People’s Congress Standing Committee Vice Chairperson, Yang Zhenwu, President of the People's Daily, and Gansu Provincial Party Committee Secretary Lin Duo all attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Zhang pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, conforms to the trend of development. The media cooperation forum serves as a platform for communication and mutual learning among journalists, politicians, business people, and scholars from around the world.

Yang pointed out that the People’s Daily started the annual media forum in 2014 to build an information highway, expand “circle of friends,” and enlarge “concentric circles” of cultures through media cooperation.

Media plays an important role in enhancing people-to-people communication, Yang said, adding that news sharing, policy studies, information integration, and business exchanges should be strengthened to build bridges between cultures and embrace a brighter future.

Lin remarked that Gansu was a strategic channel with commercial importance on the ancient Silk Road. As one of the earliest regions in Chinese history to conduct economic and cultural exchanges, the province has contributed greatly to the cooperation between China and the Western world.

Lin recognized the efforts made by Gansu during the construction of the Belt and Road, saying that fruitful results have been reaped. He hopes that media from each country could place more importance on the Belt and Road, and gather positive energy to create a community of shared future for mankind.

Participated by 600 business representatives, scholars, and journalists, the 2017 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road is the largest media forum held by Chinese mainstream media in recent years.