Starting a New Journey for High-Quality Development of the Belt and Road
WANG YI Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
Wang Yi was born in 1953 in Beijing. He graduated from the Institute of Asian and African Languages affiliated to the Second Foreign Languages Institute in Beijing. He holds also a master's degree in Economics. In 1981, Wang Yi became a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Between 1982 and 1989, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC) (MFA) as an attache, assistant manager and manager consecutively. After serving in various senior positions in MFA in the following years, he served as Ambassador of Japan between 2004-2007. Wang Yi continued his work at the (MFA) as Deputy Secretary of CPC Committee from 2013 until 2018 when he was promoted to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Since the 17th People's Congress, he has also been a member of the CCP Central Committee.
The purpose of the BRI is to highlight connectivity, deepen pragmatic cooperation, build unity in responding to the various challenges that face humanity, and bring about mutual benefit and shared development. The Second BRF provided an important opportunity to take stock of the progress that has been made in joint development of the Belt and Road.
THE SECOND BELT AND ROAD FORUM FOR prehensive opening up and building a global com-
International Cooperation (BRF) was held from munity with a shared future. The purpose of the
April 25 to 27, 2019 in Beijing. This was the most BRI is to highlight connectivity, deepen pragmatic
important diplomatic event held by China this cooperation, build unity in responding to the vari-
year, which also marks the 70th anniversary of the ous challenges that face humanity, and bring about
founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). mutual benefit and shared development. The Sec-
President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremo- ond BRF provided an important opportunity to take
ny of the BRF to deliver a keynote speech, chaired stock of the progress that has been made in joint de-
the Leaders’ Roundtable, held a series of diplomatic velopment of the Belt and Road.
events, and presented the outcomes of the forum Over the past six years, total trade between
to Chinese and foreign media outlets. A total of 40 China and BRI countries exceeded US$6 trillion,
heads of state, government leaders, and represent- while China made more than US$90 billion worth
atives of international organizations met together, of direct investment in these countries. A connec-
and more than 6,000 foreign guests from 150 coun- tivity framework involving six corridors, six types
tries and 92 international organizations took part in of routes, multiple countries, and multiple ports has
the event. During the forum, a high-level meeting, essentially taken shape. A large number of coopera-
12 sub-forums, and an entrepreneur conference tion projects have taken off, and the decisions made
were held. The success of this BRF has started a new at the First BRF in 2017 have been implemented
journey of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, smoothly. The success of international cooperation
injected new vigor into China’s pursuit of open through the Belt and Road has created new plat-
development, voiced our strong determination to forms for international trade and investment, and
uphold multilateralism, and marked another mile- unlocked new potential for world economic growth.
stone for China and the world in building a global Over the past six years, the BRI has upheld the
community with a shared future together. Silk Road spirit of peace, cooperation, openness,
inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit.
I It has advocated a global governance philosophy
In 2013, President Xi introduced a major proposal featuring mutual consultation, joint development,
for international cooperation – the Belt and Road and benefit sharing, taken concrete steps toward
Initiative (BRI). This proposal was based upon his the establishment of an open world economy, and
overall assessment of global trends, as well as the outlined a new vision for building a fairer and more
objectives of creating a new pattern in China’s com- equitable global governance system. As UN Secre-
tary-General Antonio Guterres pointed out, the BRI At the opening ceremony, President Xi deliv-
aims to make globalization healthier. ered a keynote speech entitled “Working Together
Over the past six years, China has built 82 to Deliver a Brighter Future for Belt and Road Co-
overseas cooperation zones with BRI countries, operation.” He also conducted in-depth exchanges
contributed to host countries by paying over US$2 with heads of state, government leaders, and repre-
billion in taxes and creating nearly 300,000 jobs, sentatives of international organizations attending
and brought more convenient living conditions, the Leaders’ Roundtable. Together, they reviewed
better business environments, and more diverse past experiences, looked to the future, and drew up
development opportunities to the people of various plans for going forward, reaching new agreements
countries. Thanks to the BRI, some countries have on a number of important issues in the process.
built their first expressway or modern railway, some They also explicitly identified high-quality develop-
have developed their own automobile manufactur- ment of the Belt and Road as the central theme for
ing industry for the first time, and some have re- future cooperation, thus defining the plans and di-
solved their long-standing electricity shortages. The rection of Belt and Road cooperation more clearly.
fruits of Belt and Road cooperation have effectively High-quality Belt and Road cooperation is an
improved the living standards of people in various important concept that President Xi has introduced countries, and contributed significantly to advancein consideration of the needs of the world as a whole. ment of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Devel- High quality is absolutely necessary for drawing a opment. According to the World Bank, the BRI has meticulously detailed blueprint of cooperation, and accelerated global poverty reduction. will undoubtedly push the BRI to achieve deeper Our success over the past six years is ample and more practical significance and progress steadproof that, although the BRI originated in China, its ily over the long term. This important concept is in opportunities and benefits belong to the world. The tune with the common wishes of our BRI partners, initiative has thus become the most well received inand points the way for countries involved to move ternational public good and the largest platform for forward together. It has thus won recognition and international cooperation. high praise from all participants.
II The theme of the Second BRF was “Belt and Road Cooperation: Shaping a Brighter Shared Future.” Participants in the forum conducted in-depth discussions on “boosting connectivity for new sources of growth,” “strengthening policy integration to build closer partnerships,” and “promoting green and sustainable development to implement the UN 2030 Agenda,” reaching a number of important outcomes with landmark significance.
First, we drew a blueprint to guide our future The Leaders’ Roundtable at the Second Belt and Road
Forum in Beijing, April 2019. course of action.
adopted. It brought together the political consensus
"To achieve high-quality development of all participants on Belt and Road cooperation,
of the Belt and Road, it is imperative and became the most important outcome of this fo-
that we uphold the principles rum. In its role as host country, China also issued a of mutual consultation, joint list of 283 deliverables, thus sketching a picture of development, and benefit sharing." great promise for future Belt and Road cooperation.
To achieve high-quality development of the Belt China signed a series of inter-governmental
and Road, it is imperative that we uphold the princi- agreements on practical cooperation projects such
ples of mutual consultation, joint development, and as the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, and
benefit sharing. The essence of these principles is launched new cooperation funds as well as third-par-
the practice of multilateralism, which stresses that ty market investment and financing projects with
all countries should engage in collective discussion Italy and other countries. Enterprises from various
of major issues that affect the group and make in- countries reached numerous agreements on indus-
cremental progress on these issues by each exerting trial capacity and investment cooperation.
their respective strengths and working to the best BRF participants released a number of ma-
of their abilities. The most fundamental point is en- jor cooperation proposals and reports. China re-
suring that cooperation conforms to the common leased a report entitled “The Belt and Road In-
interests of all parties and meets their common itiative: Progress, Contributions, and Prospects,”
needs, thus making cooperation more effective, ap- exhibiting the consensus and achievements
pealing, and sustainable; this is an integral part of reached by participants in Belt and Road cooper-
“high quality.” ation, and setting forth proposals and suggestions
High-quality Belt and Road cooperation must for high-quality development. China and other
uphold openness, integrity, and environmental participants published the Debt Sustainability
friendliness, reach toward high standards, sustaina- Analysis Framework for Participating Countries
bility, and the improvement of public wellbeing, and of Belt and Road Initiative to provide guidance
focus on the core task of ensuring that the fruits of for financing cooperation. The BRF Advisory cooperation benefit the people of all countries in- Council submitted a report to the forum, putting volved. All BRF participants endorsed the concept forward policy recommendations regarding the of people-centered development and agreed to acfuture priorities of Belt and Road cooperation tively align themselves with universally accepted and the direction of the forum’s development. international rules, standards, and best practices. Relevant parties also jointly launched the Beijing They were unanimous in the belief that doing so will
lead to more effective connectivity between nations, Initiative for the Clean Silk Road and the Coop-
more robust economic growth, closer international eration Initiative on Silk Road of Innovation, and
cooperation, and better lives for the people. issued the Green Investment Principles. These
Second, we made practical gains by pooling our outcomes expounded the principles of mutu-
strengths. al consultation, joint development, and benefit
The Leaders’ Roundtable of the Second BRF re- sharing, and embodied the concepts of openness,
leased a joint communiqué that was unanimously integrity, and environmental friendliness.
The entrepreneur conference attracted busi- tries and international organizations to take part.
ness leaders from more than 80 countries and re- As soon as it was introduced, the proposal to build a
gions, who signed cooperation agreements on pro- partnership for global connectivity was immediate-
jects worth more than US$64 billion. ly met with an enthusiastic response from the inter-
national community. It is their hope to strengthen
"This partnership is not a geopolitical coordination of development policies, plans, and in-
tool, but a proposal for cooperation itiatives with China and other countries on the basis
that seeks shared development of connectivity in order to achieve shared develop-
through concerted efforts." ment and common prosperity.
Fourth, we jointly established mechanisms to
Third, we developed partnerships to deepen con- provide strong support.
nectivity. Through six years of joint effort, we have seen Over the past six years, more than 150 couna basic framework for international Belt and Road tries and international organizations signed agreecooperation take shape that is guided by the BRF ments on Belt and Road cooperation with China. and supported by multilateral and bilateral cooper- As a result, the BRI’s circle of friends is constantly ation in various fields. This has provided effective expanding and an interconnected cooperation netinstitutional guarantees for long-term development work is taking shape. of the Belt and Road. At the forum, President Xi put forward a pro- The BRF is the most high profile platform for posal to build a partnership for global connectivity, cooperation under the BRI framework. At the Seccalling on all participants to make connectivity their
focus as they build stronger partnership through in- ond BRF, participants worked together to enrich
ternational cooperation on the Belt and Road. Dur- ideas, identify priorities, and create achievements of
ing bilateral meetings, President Xi had in-depth cooperation, and clearly defined the blueprint and
discussions with international guests on opportu- objectives for high-quality development of Belt and
nities for cooperation under the BRI framework, Road cooperation. All participants praised China
and broader consensus was reached on the issue of for its efforts in holding the first and second forums,
boosting connectivity. and expressed their hope that the BRF will continue
The concept of a partnership for global connec- to be held.
tivity represents a continuation and development of Third-party market cooperation has become
the Silk Road spirit in the new era. This partnership an important new platform for Belt and Road co-
is not a geopolitical tool, but a proposal for cooper- operation. It aims to achieve the effect of building
ation that seeks shared development through con- something greater than the sum of its parts by en-
certed efforts. Instead of scrapping the old system, couraging participants to exert their strengths and
it serves to consolidate and complement existing form synergy together. During the BRF, China
cooperative relationships, and therefore is condu- signed a number of documents on third-party mar-
cive to forming synergy by pooling strengths. This ket cooperation with countries and international
partnership is not for the exclusive enjoyment of a and regional organizations such as Austria, Switzer-
certain few; instead it is a broad platform for open land, Singapore, and the UNDP. The Silk Road Fund
cooperation that welcomes more interested coun- and the European Investment Fund announced the
The Second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, April 2019.
establishment of various co-investment schemes for more connected to each other. During the forum,
third-party markets. Such moves have given inter- President Xi delivered several important speeches
national cooperation through the Belt and Road to national leaders and public figures from various
even fuller and more powerful meaning. fields. Looking back at China’s extraordinary course
Important progress was made during this forum of development over 70 years since the founding of
with regard to multilateral cooperation through the the PRC, he emphasized that China will continue to
Belt and Road. Working together with our partners advance on the path of socialism with Chinese char-
and upholding the principles of openness, inclusive- acteristics, remain committed to comprehensively
ness, and transparency, we improved and developed deepening reform, pursuing high-quality devel-
a number of platforms for multilateral dialogue and opment, expanding opening up, and following the
cooperation in specialized fields, and launched sev- path of peaceful development, and strive to build a
eral initiatives for multilateral cooperation covering global community with a shared future.
multiple issues such as transportation, development Meanwhile, the president earnestly declared
financing, taxation, environmental protection, in- that China will adopt a whole series of important
tellectual property rights, and clean governance, new measures for reform and opening up, includ-
thus providing strong backing for broadening and ing easing market access for foreign investment in
deepening cooperation in these areas. more areas, stepping up international cooperation
Fifth, we upheld openness and demonstrated on intellectual property rights protection, increasing
China’s sense of responsibility. imports of goods and services even further, engag-
Belt and Road cooperation is a grand stage ing in international coordination of macroeconomic
upon which China and the world are becoming policy more effectively, and putting greater emphasis
on the implementation of opening up policies. He with all parties concerned, we will accelerate the de-
stressed that China’s policy to expand opening up is velopment of high-quality, sustainable, hazard-re-
a choice that it has made of its own accord in light sistant, affordable, inclusive, and accessible infra-
of objective requirements for the country’s reform structure, and focus on ensuring the sustainability
and development. He also called on countries of the of Belt and Road cooperation in the economic, so-
cial, fiscal, financial, and environmental domains. By doing so, we will create cooperation projects that
"Belt and Road cooperation has will stand the test of time and win popular approv-
begun a new journey toward highal. We will build a network of connectivity guided quality development, transforming by the flows of economic corridors, built on major from an abstract overall outline into a transportation routes and information highways, meticulously detailed blueprint." and supported by railways, ports, and pipelines so
world to create favorable environments for invest- that we may bring about interconnected develop-
ment and give equal treatment to Chinese enter- ment more effectively.
prises, students, and scholars. President Xi’s rousing We will uphold openness and mutual benefit.
words conveyed to the world the critical message that President Xi pointed out that if man stopped the
China is dedicated to expanding opening up across river from flowing into the ocean, then eventually
the board, exhibited China’s sincere desire to make there would come a day when the ocean dries up.
greater contributions to humanity, demonstrated Though the world economy is facing grave challeng-
China’s resolve to safeguard its legitimate rights and es, we must not stop the river from flowing; we must
interests, and made the world more confident about uphold openness and cooperation, unequivocally
pursuing shared development with China. oppose protectionism, vigorously promote liberal-
ization and facilitation of trade and investment, and support the circulation of goods, capital, technolo- III gy, and personnel. This will provide powerful mo-
Belt and Road cooperation has begun a new jour- mentum and vast potential for growth of the global
ney toward high-quality development, transform- economy.
ing from an abstract overall outline into a meticu- We will focus on innovation-driven development.
lously detailed blueprint. We will act in accordance President Xi pointed out that innovation is the
with the ideas and objectives raised in President source of productive strength, and that it is necessary
Xi’s opening address, strengthen coordination and for enterprises to be competitive and countries to
cooperation with all parties in line with the agree- thrive. In conformity with the trend of the times, we
ments that we have reached, promote implementa- will continue to deepen cooperation and exchange
tion of the BRF’s outcomes, actively build a partner- on innovation and drive forward the development
ship for global connectivity, and promote consistent of digital, network-based, and smart technologies.
progress for international cooperation through the We will work together to explore new technologies
Belt and Road. and new ways of doing business, and seek out new
We will strengthen infrastructure connectivity. growth drivers and means of development. We will
President Xi pointed out that infrastructure is advance the Belt and Road Science, Technology, and
the cornerstone of connectivity. Working together Innovation Cooperation Action Plan, implement
the BRI Talents Exchange Program, and build the bridges for different cultures to learn from each
Digital Silk Road and the Silk Road of Innovation. other and create a pattern of multi-faceted peo-
We will promote balanced development. ple-to-people exchanges. To do so, we must deep-
President Xi pointed out that the greatest im- en cooperation in fields such as education, science,
balance in the world today is imbalanced develop- culture, and sports, bolster exchange between par-
ment. We will uphold the philosophy of people-cen- liamentary bodies, political parties, and non-gov-
tered development and ensure that the fruits of Belt ernmental organizations, and promote communica-
and Road cooperation benefit the people in order to tion between social groups such as women, young satisfy the yearning of people around the world for people, and the disabled. By doing so, we will fill the a better life. We will see that the concepts of green annals of the Silk Road with more brilliant tales of and sustainable development are incorporated into intercultural interaction. the selection, implementation, and management of Belt and Road cooperation is a great initiative Belt and Road cooperation projects, and work with aiming at achieving common prosperity through those concerned to implement plans and initiaconsultation and collaboration. Looking toward tives for cooperation including the Belt and Road
Sustainable Cities Alliance, the BRI International the future, it will undoubtedly unlock glorious new
Green Development Coalition, and the Green In- prospects for China’s open development, bring new
vestment Principles for the Belt and Road, with a opportunities for improving the wellbeing of people
view to creating more opportunities and potential around the world, and make important new con-
for the growth of developing countries. tributions for building a global community with
We will deepen exchange and mutual learning. a shared future. (From: English Edition of QiuShi
President Xi pointed out that we must build Journal, April-June 2019, Vol.11 No.2 Issue No.39)
