BRI forum to produce substantial outcomes

The upcoming Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing is expected to produce substantial results, with the total number of deliverables likely to exceed those of the previous two forums, Executive Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said on Friday.

The 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, Ma said in a joint interview with Xinhua News Agency and China Media Group.

Themed "High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity", the two-day forum, which starts on Tuesday, will have an opening ceremony, three high-level forums, six thematic forums and a CEO conference.

The forum is expected to issue a Chair's Statement, a list of multilateral cooperation deliverables and a list of practical projects, Ma said, adding that Chinese and foreign businesses will negotiate and sign a series of cooperation projects.

So far, more than 4,000 delegates from over 140 countries and 30-plus international organizations have confirmed their attendance, including state leaders, heads of international organizations, ministerial officials and business and academic representatives.

Ma said that the BRI has injected strong impetus into global economic growth as more than 3,000 cooperation projects have been agreed on, mobilizing nearly $1 trillion in investment over the past decade. The initiative has also provided opportunities for partner countries to get on China's express train of development, support their efforts to eradicate poverty, increase employment, improve livelihoods and implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he added.

Chinese companies have created over 420,000 job opportunities for local residents in the economic and trade cooperation zones they built in partner countries, Ma said.

The BRI has also offered viable solutions for improving global governance under a philosophy of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, he said.

Ma added that BRI cooperation follows an approach that advocates dialogue over confrontation, bringing down rather than erecting barriers, integration over decoupling, and inclusiveness over exclusion, and seeks to make global governance more just and equitable.