High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation for All-Dimensional Common Development

High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation for All-Dimensional Common Development

Luo Zhaohui, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of CPPCC National Committee and CIDCA Chairman

(Tuesday, September 12, CPPCC)

Your Excellency , Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee Wang Dongfeng,

Your Excellencies Diplomats,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

It's my great pleasure to participate in today's event. 

I joined Chinese Premier Li Qiang's first Asian trip to Indonesia last week. We took the test ride of high speed railway in Jakarta. The smiles, happiness and gratitude from local people remind us how important of the BRI for the world, and what a huge and incredible progress BRI has achieved in such a short time. 

Only ten years ago, President Xi Jinping proposed the BRI. It implants new meanings into a historical symbol, covering land to sea, spanning east to west, and connecting ancient times to today's world.   

More than 180 countries and international organizations have signed over 200 documents to support the BRI. It has stimulated nearly 1 trillion US dollar of investment, created more than 3 thousand  projects, and lifted 40 million people out of poverty. 

I am so happy to see that all the Ambassadors and diplomats here come from our neighboring countries. Connected by mountains and rivers, China and its neighboring countries are the closest development partners. Of course, China's neighborhood serves as a pilot area of BRI. 

In Southeast Asia, our concrete cooperation has started from the Lancang-Mekong River Dredging Project from west, then we gradually expand to the east, including Kunming-Bangkok Highway, China-Laos Railway, China-Thailand Railway, and the Maritime Silk Road. Now, we are upgrading the Lancang-Mekong River Cooperation, bilateral FTA, RCEP implementation. China and ASEAN are each other's largest trading partners for last three years. Last year, the two way trade reached nearly 1 trillion US dollar. Every week, there are 4000 flights between the two sides. Even the COVID-19 didn't stop our steps moving forward.   

In South Asia, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project of the BRI. The two sides have implemented projects on upgrading of the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway and the Karakoram Highway, among others. China has assisted Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan in building roads, bridges, airports, and housing projects. With China's assistance, Maldives has its first cross-sea bridge. The feasibility study of the China-Nepal Railway is going on well. 

In Central Asia, both the BRI and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have played their important roles coordinately. China-Europe Railway Express has increased from 42 trains in year of 2012 to over 16 thousand trains this year. The Express has become a major economic and trade corridor. Furthermore, the annual trade growth between China and Central Asia reaches 12 percent. 

Recently, I visited Mongolia, to implement the two leaders' consensus on planting a billion trees, which is a very ambitious plan. Some international organizations and financial institutions joined me, show their strong support in desert control and green development. 

Friends, 

The BRI is moving forward with times and new development. 

Today, the world is facing accelerated changes unseen in a century, setbacks in globalization, deviation of development agenda, and slowing-down implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Against this backdrop, thinking beyond the global trend and mankind future,  President Xi Jinping further proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) two years ago, and announced 32 major measures for its implementation. Last month, President Xi Jinping announced 10 billion US dollar focusing on the implementation of the GDI in South Africa. 

The GDI is an important complement and expansion of the BRI. Its main purpose is to build development consensus, promote common development. So far, more than 100 countries and international organizations including the UN have supported the GDI. The Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund is operating smoothly, with over 200 "small yet smart" projects being launched. This July, the CIDCA, my agency, held the First High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, Project Pool and Fund Pool have been established. 

Friends, 

The BRI and the GDI originate in China and benefit mankind. China is and will continue acting. But it's not enough. The global joint action is also needed urgently. 

The CPPCC National Committee has made active contributions to the BRI through various means. As the Third BRI Summit Forum for International Cooperation approaches, based on the consultative spirit of CPPCC, today's event is to strengthen consensus over the principle of BRI, namely, "extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits". 

As a member of the CPPCC National Committee and a government official, I would like to say very firmly, China is willing to act with all other countries, pursue mutual benefit and win-win situation, continue strong support for the BRI and the GDI, jointly contribute to making the world better and building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind. 

Thank you!