The forum is expected to highlight remarkable achievements that have been made in joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and offer a crucial platform for countries and organizations to discuss high-quality BRI cooperation in a wide range of areas from infrastructure to green development, officials and experts said.
Coming at a time when the world is facing a bunch of geopolitical and economic challenges, the BRF will help inject certainty into an uncertain world and offer fresh impetus for global development, as the forum is expected to achieve major outcomes for strengthening international cooperation, foreign and Chinese experts noted.
The forum will also put on vivid display the great enthusiasm and confidence in the BRI as well as China’s unwavering commitment to opening up and global cooperation, they told Global Times.
President Xi Jinping will attend the forum’s opening ceremony, deliver a keynote speech, and hold a welcoming banquet and bilateral events for the guests attending the forum.
The announcement also confirmed the dates for the BRF. Meanwhile, the “BRF vibe” is becoming increasingly palpable in Beijing. Posters for the forum can be seen on many streets across the Chinese capital.
The official website for the third BRF also went online, ready to release information about the forum to help people around the world learn more about the achievements of the BRI over the past decade.
In its third edition, the BRF has become a crucial multilateral platform for countries and regions participating in the joint construction of the BRI to take stock of the progress and draw plans for future cooperation. The second BRF was held in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s BRF carries extra significance as it also marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of BRI.
According to Chinese officials, with the theme “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity,” this year’s BRF is expected to draw representatives from more than 130 countries and over 30 international organizations.
High-level meetings at the BRF will focus on many areas of cooperation, including connectivity, green development and the digital economy. Trade, people-to-people exchanges, anti-corruption, local cooperation and ocean cooperation will also be the main themes at the BRF.
Participation in the forum has greatly exceeded expectations, which shows that all parties have attached great importance to it; the current complex global geo-economic situation also means that the forum will draw attention from around the world, said analysts.
The BRF, which focuses on global cooperation, will take place as the world is facing a slew of geopolitical and economic challenges ranging from conflicts in Europe and the Middle East to a sluggish global economy.
The forum, to focus on global cooperation as well as China’s unwavering commitment to high-level opening-up and the path to Chinese modernization, will highlight various countries’ confidence in the BRI, China, the future development of globalization and the prospects of win-win benefits from cooperating with China, Chinese analysts said.
Such confidence comes from a decade of remarkable achievements made in the joint construction of the BRI. Among the major achievements, over the past 10 years, more than 150 countries and 30 international organizations have joined the big “BRI family,” China’s trade with countries participating in the BRI grew by 6.4 percent annually between 2013 and 2022 to reach $19.1 trillion, Chinese officials said at a press conference when releasing a White Paper.
Another major feature of the BRI is inclusiveness, which means it is also open for all countries and regions to participate, experts noted.
“The BRI is open and inclusive and it welcomes cooperation with similar arrangements from around the world. This is a global initiative, whatever they propose, including the US and the EU, we should cooperate with them,” He Weiwen, senior fellow of the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times.
