(May 15, 2017)

Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China

Dear Heads of State and Government, 

Heads of International Organizations,

I now declare open the Leaders Roundtable of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation!

I welcome all of you to Yanqi Lake for the Leaders Roundtable. It gives us a good opportunity to discuss how to promote international cooperation for common prosperity.

I put forward the initiative of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in 2013. The initiative aims to promote infrastructure development and greater connectivity, synergize the development policies and strategies ofindividual countries, deepen practical cooperation, encourage coordinated and interconnected  development,and bring about common prosperity.

I have come up with this Belt and Road Initiative based on my observation of and reflection on the world situation. We live in an age of great progress, great transformation and profound changes. A new round of scientific, technological and industrial revolution is in the making. New growth drivers are gaining momentum. National interests are increasingly entwined. Peace, development and mutually beneficial cooperation have become the trend of our times. On the other hand, the deep-seated problems in global development are yet to be addressed effectively. Global economic growth is not on solid ground. International trade and investment are sluggish.Economic globalization is encountering some headwinds. Development has become more uneven. And this is not to mention the other challenges that overshadow the world economy, like wars, conflicts, terrorism, and massive flows of refugees and migrants.

Confronted by these challenges, many countries are pondering the way forward, and have put forward many good development strategies and cooperation initiatives. However, in a world of growing interdependence and challenges, no country can tackle the challenges or solve the world’s problems on its own. Individual countries need to coordinate national policies and make good use  of economic factors and development resources on a greater global scale. Only in this way can we build synergy and promote worldwide peace, stability and common development.

The Belt and Road Initiative is rooted in history, but oriented toward the future. Reflecting our forefathers’ aspirations for a better life, the ancient Silk Road connected nations in Asia and Europe, catalyzed cultural exchanges and mutual learning between the East and West, and made an important contribution to the progress of human civilization. We have every reason to draw wisdom and strength from the ancient Silk Road, advance cooperation in the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, and work together to build an even brighter future.

The Belt and Road Initiative originated in China but belongs to the whole world. It involves countries indifferent regions, at different development stages and with different cultures. It is a platform of open and inclusive cooperation, and a public product we jointly provide to the whole world. While the Belt and Road Initiative focuses on the Asian and European continents, it is open to all like-minded friends; it does not exclude or target any party.

In pursuing international cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, the parties concerned follow the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and join hands to meet global economic challenges. Aiming to draw on each other’s strength and deliver mutually beneficial 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. This is what I had in mind when I first put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. It is also the ultimate goal of this initiative.

I am pleased to note that the global community has given positive responses and extensive support to the Belt and Road Initiative. More than 100 countries and international organizations participate in it. A large number of cooperation projects have been launched, and some are already in operation. An interconnected infrastructural network is taking shape. Industrial cooperation is gaining momentum. Policy coordination is improving. People are beginning to reap the benefits of Belt and Road cooperation, and feel even closer to each other.

All this provides a good basis for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China has proposed and is hosting the Forum precisely for the purpose of extensive consultation on cooperation, joint contribution to the cooperation platform and shared benefits of cooperation by all the parties involved, to make sure that our peoples become better-off as a result of the Belt and Road Initiative.

At the High-level Dialogue yesterday, leaders of various countries and international organizations, and representatives of the business and academic communities offered many useful ideas and  proposals, and    many cooperation agreements were signed. I hope today’s Roundtable will help us build more consensus, and chart the course and develop a blueprint for Belt and Road cooperation. I hope our discussions here will make good progress in the following areas:

First, setting the direction of mutually beneficial cooperation. Geese can fly a long way in safety through wind and storm because they move in flocks and help each other as a team. This brings home the message that the best way to meet challenges and achieve better development is through cooperation.

In our cooperation, we need to  work  in  a  spirit of partnership, and follow the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. The building of policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people- to-people connectivity should be our shared goal. We need to seek mutually beneficial results through greater openness and cooperation, avoid fragmentation, refrain from setting inhibitive thresholds for cooperation or pursuing exclusive arrangements, and reject protectionism.

A peaceful and stable environment is required to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative. It is important for individual countries to step up cooperation, resolve their differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, and work together to maintain regional security and stability.

Second, strengthening policy coordination and synergizing our development policies and   strategies.We need to improve policy coordination, and reject beggar- thy-neighbor practices. This is an important lesson that can be drawn from the global financial crisis and is still very relevant to the development of the world economy today. National development strategies are drafted in light of particular national circumstances, and have their own distinctive features. At the same time, they generally pursue the same goal. There is a great deal of common ground and complementarity among those strategies. We can make good use of this to promote and reinforce development for all of us.

Based on this common understanding, we need to set up a mechanism for policy coordination and mutual learning. We can build on it, work out plans for cooperation and take concerted actions to coordinate our plans, pursue interconnected development and share the benefits. We need to seek greater complementarity between Belt and Road cooperation and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the outcomes of the G20 Hangzhou Summit, the regional development initiatives of  APEC, ASEAN, AU,  EEU, EU and CELAC, and  the development plans of relevant countries. By so doing, we will make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Third, deepening practical cooperation driven by concrete projects. As the saying goes, roads don’t build themselves, and good things don’t happen by themselves. Concrete action is the key to turning a blueprint into reality.

 In terms of  infrastructure connectivity, we need to push forward the construction of railways, roads and other major land transportation arteries, speed up the development  of sea ports, and improve oil and gas pipelines, electricity transmission and telecommunication networks.

In terms of  cooperation in the real economy, we need  to vigorously develop economic corridors and work for the success of economic, trade and industrial cooperation zones to boost investment,industrial clusters and jobcreation,and take the path of innovation-driven development.

In terms of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, we need to improve free trade areas, harmonize rules and standards, and provide a better business and institutional environment, so as to fully unlock the potential offered by greater connectivity.

In terms of financial cooperation, we need to broaden the channels, develop new models and reduce the cost of financing, and remove the bottlenecks that impede project implementation.

People-to-people exchanges are an important part of Belt and Road cooperation. We need to deepen cultural exchanges,make our cooperation more inclusive and solidly- based, and enable the people to become the main drivers and beneficiaries in pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative.

Dear Colleagues,

Yanqi  Lake is an inspiring place with a rich history. It is a good place to start our journey of cooperation. Many people have compared the Belt and Road to a pair of soaring wings. Here from Yanqi Lake, let us spread our wings, soar to the sky, and reach out together for a future of peace, development and mutually beneficial cooperation!

Thank you.