China makes Belt and Road a public road open to all

The first press conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021 is held on April 18, 2021. (People's Daily Online/Meng Zhongde)

Belt and Road cooperation pursues development, aims at mutual benefits, and conveys a message of hope, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 20 when addressing the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021 via video.

His remarks chartered course for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and envisioned bright prospects of closer partnerships of Belt and Road countries for health cooperation, connectivity, green development, and openness and inclusiveness.

Building a closer partnership for health cooperation protects the lives and health of people in all countries, and to develop the Silk Road of Health amid COVID-19 is in line with the interests of all people around the world.

Attendants to the BFA annual conference called on the world to mobilize all resources to make a comprehensive plan for the health of mankind and sustainable development. The Silk Road of Health exactly responds to the common aspiration of all countries, and marks an concrete contribution to opposing vaccine nationalism, conquering the pandemic and building a global community of health for all.

Building a closer partnership for connectivity will help open up a bright prospect for integrated development of regional economy. The Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2021 released at the BFA said facing a new situation where the world is going through both huge changes unseen in a century and the global spread of COVID-19, Belt and Road countries have enhanced policy coordination and alignment of rules, so as to make their cooperation more institutional.

Belt and Road countries have enhanced "hard connectivity" of infrastructure and "soft connectivity" of rules and standards, and ensured unimpeded channels for trade and investment cooperation to build more new engines for economic and trade cooperation, offering solid support for the economic recovery of the world in the post-pandemic era.

Building a closer partnership for green development is conducive to advancing global ecological progress. China always champions the philosophy of open, green and clean cooperation, and seeks no exclusionary blocs. It has made green a defining feature of development, and is working to promote green infrastructure, green investment and green finance, so as to protect the Earth which we all call home.

In recent years, China has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN Environment Programme on the construction of a green Belt and Road, established BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) International Green Development Coalition, initiated the Green Supply Chain Platform for Belt and Road cooperation, and launched the Green Investment Principles for the BRI. China's efforts to build a green Belt and Road are injecting important impetus that makes the world more low-carbon and greener.

Building a closer partnership for openness and inclusiveness helps with sustainable development of the world. According to a recent UN report, some 114 million jobs have been lost, and about 120 million people have been plunged back into extreme poverty amid COVID-19. What the Belt and Road construction brings to participating countries are anti-pandemic materials in urgent demand, secured jobs and a bright future. China's proposal to build the BRI into a pathway to poverty alleviation and growth marks a positive contribution to the common prosperity of mankind, as well as a sense of responsibility.

Xi said at the opening ceremony of the BFA Annual Conference 2018 that the BRI may be China’s idea, but its opportunities and outcomes are going to benefit the world. China has no geopolitical calculations, seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others.

This year, he once again stressed that the BRI is a public road open to all, not a private path owned by one single party. All interested countries are welcome aboard to take part in the cooperation and share in its benefits.

Going forward, China will continue to work with other parties in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. It will follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and champion the philosophy of open, green and clean cooperation, in a bid to make Belt and Road cooperation high-standard, people-centered and sustainable.

The firm steps taken to advance the Belt and Road cooperation exactly reflect the participating countries' common aspiration for win-win results, and bear their hope for common prosperity and a bright future.