People’s Daily Online, June 20 - How would the city of Lianyungang, located at the intersection of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, deal with the opportunities and challenges brought by a new round of opening-up policy? More than 30 senior Chinese experts gathered in the city to discuss the unique roles the city plays in development of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee of Lianyungang Li Qiang said that the strategic concept of developing the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road proposed by President Xi Jinping offers another historical opportunity for the city.

According to Li Qiang, to seize the opportunity, Lianyungang has four important things to do. First of all, the city needs to step up its opening-up process both to central Asian countries on its west and to Japan and South Korea on the east; the city also needs to provide better port services and other services. Meanwhile, it needs to facilitate transportation construction that includes highways, railways, airlines, etc.

Liu Guchang, director of the China Foundation for International Studies, said that the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Maritime Silk Road aim at seeking economic development with countries on the route and develop a community of common interests and destiny.