(May 15, 2017)

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

Dear Colleagues,

At this working lunch, we will have a discussion on the promotion of people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Representatives of leaders of the UK, Germany and France and Vice-President of the European Commission are also here with us. A warm welcome to you all.

The ancient Silk Road was a road for trade, and more importantly a road for friendship. It has left a splendid chapter in the history of interactions between world civilizations, and contributed significantly to the progress of humanity. The Silk Road reminds us that we live in a world of diversity, where human civilizations thrive because of diversity and interactions.

My home province, Shaanxi, is situated on the ancient Silk Road. It is a place where tales of exchanges between  the Eastern and Western civilizations are told from generation to generation. I’ve also been to other major cities along the Silk Road, such as Bukhara and Samarqand, and experienced firsthand the history of friendship and mutual appreciation between peoples of different origins, religious faiths and cultural backgrounds. Tales from the Thousand and One Nights, which was introduced to China through the ancient Silk Road, is very popular among Chinese children. The tales have long inspired Chinese to visit countries along the ancient Silk Road and meet their people.

As an old Chinese saying goes, “Distance cannot separate true friends even when they are thousands of miles apart.” The adage may well illustrate the spirit of interaction and cooperation cherished by nations along the ancient Silk Road. We need to follow the same spirit in the on-going Belt and Road cooperation. Today, with far better resources available and a more favorable environment for cooperation, we can surely do more and better in respect of people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and work together to promote inter-cultural harmony and mutual learning.

Since I put forward the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, people-to-people and cultural exchanges between interested countries have gathered momentum thanks to their joint efforts to explore ways for closer cooperation  in this area. Some countries have established a University Alliance of  the  Belt and  Road, set up government scholarships and launched joint educational institutions and training programs, all producing positive results. Some countries have opened joint research laboratories or technology transfer centers, implemented scientists/researchers exchange programs and joint training programs or developed cooperation in traditional medicine, making significant progress in science and technology cooperation. Some countries have hosted such events as tourism year, culture year or international rally, effectively boosting people-to-people exchanges and cultural cooperation. Some have worked in close collaboration to protect and restore historical heritage sites. The bid for inclusion of the Maritime Silk Route on the World Heritage List is already underway. The historical and cultural heritage sites of the Silk Road are under effective protection and are fully used where appropriate.

Iamconfidentthatvibrantpeople-to-peopleandcultural exchanges will lead to strong public support for our all-round cooperation under the Belt and Road framework. I look forward to broader consensus on this subject and greater cooperation in people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that in the next few years, China will host an International Horticultural Exposition and the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou. We look forward to seeing our Belt and Road cooperation partners  at those events. You may come as participants orvisitors.