2. Working jointly for the "Belt" and "Road" initiatives meets the trend of the times for regional cooperation.

Asia, known as the engine of global growth and a key driver for world multipolarization and economic globalization, plays a critical and increasing role in the shaping of international landscape. Meanwhile, Asia faces multiple challenges, old and new, including mounting pressures to stay vibrant. It will be the common tasks of all Asian countries to consolidate and maintain the favorable situation of peace and development in Asia, build stronger consensus and capacity of Asian countries, enhance the awareness of a community of shared interest and shared destiny for a harmonious Asia and achieve a comprehensive rejuvenation of all Asian countries. The "Belt" and "Road" initiatives linking the past with the present and covering China and other countries, have a highly inclusive scope that bears witness to the history of great glory in Asia, provide an important source from which Asians draw confidence and pride for their history and cultures, and stand as a banner of Asian unity and commitment to cooperation.

Regional integration is an unavoidable phase towards economic globalization. The flourishing cooperation in Asia has boosted peace and development in the region. However, compared with those in Europe and North America, regional cooperation in Asia remains inadequate, as evidenced in particular by the uneven development and poor connectivity among Asia's sub-regions, posing a considerable obstacle to deeper regional cooperation. The "Belt" and "Road" initiatives, by linking Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Asia, will contribute to greater connectivity and complementarity across the sub-regions, and help the establishment and improvement of Asia's supply chain, industrial chain and value chain, thus bringing Pan-Asian and Eurasian regional cooperation to a new level.

Profound changes are taking place with respect to global growth, trade, investment and capital flows. Eurasian countries, all in a critical state of transition and upgrading, desperately need to unleash their potential demand and that of the region, create still more growth points and make their economies more dynamic and more resilient to fend off risks. The "Belt" and "Road" initiatives foresee infrastructure development and systemic innovation, which conduces to an improved business environment in relevant countries and the region as a whole, to an orderly and unimpeded flow of production factors and their improved distribution, to the development of landlocked countries and the remote areas of various countries, to lowering costs and trade and investment barriers, and to providing greater drive for reform and opening-up in the various countries.

With obvious differences in history, culture, religion and level of development, Eurasian countries need to give scope to their advantages of diversity, follow a path of diversified development, build harmony to bridge differences while constantly seeking common ground. Personnel exchanges, cultural interactions and inter-civilization dialogues are therefore of vital importance. The ancient Silk Road is paved with timeless jewels of country-to-country and people-to-people exchanges. The "Belt" and "Road" initiatives will bring out the profound cultural achievements of ancient times, strengthen people-to-people exchanges among all countries across a spectrum of areas, strata and faiths, give scope to the potential of "soft" exchanges geared to expanding the groundwork of friendship among peoples and contribute a positive energy to peace and development in Asia.