October 20, 2023
VIENTIANE – The clearest signal from the third Belt and Road Initiative Forum for International Cooperation has been the commitment to unity, cooperation, openness and win-win, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a press briefing on Wednesday.
He summarised the main points of the forum during which the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President Xi Jinping reviewed the achievements of the initiative over the past 10 years and unveiled the next stages of planned international cooperation.
President Xi said “The past decade has been a journey of dedicated cooperation and fruitful outcomes. Belt and Road cooperation was proposed by China, but its benefits and opportunities are for the world to share.”
He also believed that China and its partners will continue to deepen Belt and Road international cooperation as well as bring cooperation to a new stage of higher-quality and higher-level development.
“The forum in Beijing has clearly expressed the message to the world that we want unity, not division; cooperation, not confrontation; openness, not isolation; and win-win, not a zero sum,” Foreign Minister Wang told reporters.
He added that BRI cooperation will continue to bring stability and positive energy to the world, as well as progress and prosperity, and will safeguard the inclusive and common development of people around the world.
The high-profile forum is the most important diplomatic event hosted by China this year, and the most significant celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The forum was centred on the theme “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity,” and took place on October 17-18.
During the briefing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi thanked media representatives from domestic and overseas organisations for their contributions in spreading the message of the BRI and its outstanding achievements over the past decade.
The world-class diplomatic event drew reporters from over 140 countries as well as from across China. Many of them made the global headlines with their glowing descriptions of the forum, calling it action-oriented, efficient and pragmatic.
Bounfaeng Phaymanivong, a journalist with Lao Press in Foreign Languages (Vientiane Times), is taking part in a four-month China Asia Pacific Press Centre 2023 Programme as one of more than 80 media personnel from almost 70 countries. The programme has been set up by the China Public Diplomacy Association under the supervision of the China International Press Communication Centre.