Counselor Wang Xinmin, addressing journalists on 27th March 2019 in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Charge d’Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone, Wang Xinmin, has disclosed that China is ready to jointly promote the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with international partners to respond to the call of the times.

Addressing a news conference in Freetown on Wednesday, Wang said that China hopes to create new drivers to power common development through the Belt and Road. “We hope to turn it into a road of peace, prosperity, openness, green development and innovation and a road that brings together different civilizations,” he said.

The Belt and Road Initiative originates from China but belongs to the world, as it involves countries in different regions, at various development stages, and with different cultures. It is a platform of open and inclusive cooperation and jointly provides a public good to the world.

Wang revealed that as of March 25, 2019, China had signed 172 cooperation documents with 124 countries and 29 international organizations to build the BRI. In Africa, 37 countries have joined, including Sierra Leone.

In pursuit of international cooperation within the BRI, the Embassy’s Charge d’Affairs noted that parties are following the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. Countries are joining hands to meet global economic challenges, he said.

“Aiming to draw on each other’s strengths and deliver win-win results, the parties will explore new opportunities, seek new drivers and expand new space for development, moving closer toward a community of shared future for mankind,” he noted, adding that this is what President Xi Jinping had in mind when he first put forward the Belt and Road Initiative.

Sierra Leone is expected to join other nations in the much-anticipated second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), which will be held in Beijing in late April. It’s the most important diplomatic event China will host this year and an international gathering that will capture the world’s attention.

President Xi will give a keynote address at the opening ceremony and chair a leaders’ roundtable. There will also be a high-level meeting, thematic forums, and a CEO conference.

With the theme of “Belt and Road Cooperation: Shaping a Brighter Shared Future,” the second BRF aims to bring about high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). At the invitation of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Hon. Nabeela Tunis, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, has confirmed her attendance.

The BRF has three key highlights this year. First, the number of foreign heads of state and government expected to attend will be much larger than that of the first BRF. Second, it will be a much bigger gathering with thousands of delegates from over 100 countries. Third, there will be more side events, including 12 thematic forums focusing on practical cooperation and, for the first time, a conference organized specifically for the business community.