The Silk Road International Think Tank Network (SiLKS) Online Annual Meeting 2020 is held on Sept 29. [Photo/drc.gov.cn]

Ma Jiantang, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC), delivered a speech at the Silk Road International Think Tank Network (SiLKS) Online Annual Meeting 2020 on Sept 29.

Delegates from 38 Chinese and foreign institutions attended the meeting that themed on "consolidating multilateralism, deepening global partnerships, and promoting high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road in the post-pandemic era".

The meeting revised the SiLKS guiding principles, and accepted five institutions as new members -- the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Capacity Building Foundation, the Ethiopian Policy Research Center, and the Kenya African Economic Research Union.

Ma said that the global pandemic is still raging, the world economy is in serious decline, and economic globalization and sustainable development goals are facing severe challenges. People need to uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for humankind, support the United Nations, the World Health Organization and other international institutions, and respond to global challenges with connectivity, openness and inclusiveness, so as to promote world economic recovery and sustainable development.

Ma Jiantang, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of DRC, delivers a speech at the Silk Road International Think Tank Network (SiLKS) Online Annual Meeting 2020 on Sept 29. [Photo/drc.gov.cn]

He pointed out that since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed, it has made important contributions to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promotion of global sustainable development, improvement of the global economic governance system, and building of a community with a shared future for humankind. It has become the world’s global public product and an open and inclusive platform for international cooperation.

In the post-pandemic era, Ma called on the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative to adhere to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, put concepts of openness, green and integrity into practice, pursue high standards, improvement of people’s livelihood and sustainability, focus on new highlights such as the healthy Silk Road and the digital Silk Road, and promote the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.

Ma put forward four suggestions for the future development of SiLKS, involving improving the governance mechanism to enhance cooperation efficiency, providing intellectual support, enhancing in-depth exchanges and knowledge sharing and strengthening international publicity.

Delegates expressed that since the outbreak of COVID-19, all members have united and helped each other, exchanged greetings, and joined hands to fight the pandemic. The SiLKS has donated anti-pandemic materials to members in severely affected areas. The current world economy is facing dual challenges of the pandemic and counter-globalization. Strengthening cooperation among international think tanks is important for countries to overcome the pandemic, promote global economic recovery, implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promote economic globalization, and improve the global economic governance system. In the post-pandemic era, SiLKS will play a more important role in adhering to multilateralism and promoting mutual trust, solidarity and cooperation. It should focus on promoting economic recovery and advancing the Belt and Road Initiative to connect and promote the relevant regional and sub-regional mechanisms, carrying out cooperative research and exchanges on topics such as the sustainable development of the global economy, society and environment. It should also strengthen international communication and help promote high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road in the post-pandemic era. The conference released the SiLKS Online Annual Meeting 2020 Joint Initiative. The initiative proposes that all countries are currently facing the task of fighting the pandemic, stabilizing the economy, and protecting people's livelihoods. They should join hands to win the global battle against the virus and jointly build a community of health for all; oppose the politicization of the pandemic, the labeling of the virus, and the use of the pandemic to stigmatize other countries; all parties should strengthen mutual respect and respond to the pandemic through a strong and coordinated multilateral approach.

The Silk Road International Think Tank Network (SiLKS) Online Annual Meeting 2020 is held on Sept 29. [Photo/drc.gov.cn]

The initiative pointed out that people should adhere to globalization and multilateralism, strengthen the coordination of international macroeconomic regulation and economic stimulus policies, defend the global governance system with the United Nations as the core, support the World Health Organization in playing a leading role in global public health governance, and ensure the safety of the global industrial and supply chains. The multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization as its core must be maintained. The initiative stated that it agrees with the joint statement of the Belt and Road international cooperation high-level video conference that practical cooperation in the fields of finance and trade, innovation and technology, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges should be promoted. The initiative declared it hopes that all members of SiLKS will work together to build SiLKS into a world-class think tank network, with sound governance mechanisms, strong funding guarantees, active academic exchanges, and effective research results, so as to build high-quality co-construction for the post-pandemic era and provide high-level intellectual support to the Belt and Road Initiative. SiLKS was founded in 2015 by the DRC and other international think tanks. It consists of 41 authoritative think tanks from 11 international organizations and 33 countries, and 59 members from seven multinational companies.