Chinese president calls for building closer Belt and Road partnership

Aerial photo shows a container vessel sailing into Tianjin Port in north China's Tianjin Municipality, Feb. 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to work with all parties to build a closer Belt and Road partnership, President Xi Jinping said Wednesday in a written message to the Asia and Pacific High-level Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation.

Xi said the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that he proposed is aimed at carrying forward the spirit of the Silk Road, working together to build an open platform of cooperation, and providing new impetus for cooperation and development among countries.

Over the past eight years, 140 countries have signed cooperation agreements with China under the BRI, with more and more cooperative partners, according to Xi.

All parties have actively promoted policy coordination, connectivity of infrastructure and facilities, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds, launched many practical cooperation projects that benefit the people, established a comprehensive and compound connectivity partnership, and created a new prospect for common development, Xi said.

"In the face of the sudden COVID-19 epidemic, we pulled through difficult times together with mutual assistance, and promoted the development of the joint construction of the Belt and Road projects, which conveyed confidence and strength to the international community and made important contributions to global anti-epidemic cooperation and economic recovery," Xi said.

He stressed that Belt and Road cooperation follows the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, adheres to the concept of openness, green development, integrity and cooperation, and is committed to the cooperation goals featuring high standards, benefiting the people and sustainable development.

China has entered a new development stage, acted on a new development concept, and has been fostering a new development paradigm, which provides more opportunities in the market, investment and growth for Belt and Road partners, Xi said.

He added that China stands ready to work with all parties to build a closer Belt and Road partnership, adhere to the path of unity, cooperation, interconnectivity, and common development, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.