Belt and Road Forum – A platform for international cooperation

Seeking to create conditions for sustainable and inclusive growth and shared prosperity, Beijing is going to host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) on April 25-27, which will be attended by world leaders and more than 5,000 representatives, including political heavyweights, business experts and think tanks, from over 150 countries and 90 international organizations.

Titled “Belt and Road Cooperation, Shaping a Brighter Shared Future”, the BRF is a top-level platform, which will lead to global consensus on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), support multilateral cooperation, and deepen mutual benefit and shared aspiration. The BRF is highly significant for six main reasons.

First, a number of BRI new member states will participate in the forum as Italy – the first G7 nation to join the initiative – Luxembourg, Greece, and Portugal, to name but a few, have put their weight behind the BRI through signing the memoranda of understanding with China.

Second, as some states view the BRI with doubt, the forum is most likely to alleviate mistrust and misunderstanding about the initiative as Chinese officials and world leaders are going to outline the reasons behind this initiative, aptly described as “economic pie” for benefiting all nations.

Third, the BRF will not only minimize the level of misunderstanding but also expand the room for mutual trust between China and state members and cement economic ties. As a result, Switzerland will sign an agreement with China to back the BRI as President Ueli Maurer is participating in the forum.

Fourth, the BRF indicates that China strongly adheres to international instruments, including the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as community of shared future for mankind, in which all members of human family are to live a free, peaceful, and prosperous life. It further shows that China plays an active and constructive role at the international level in building an open global economy, promoting cooperation and connectivity, and supporting multilateral trading system and win-win result.

Fifth, the member states will build consensus and draw a blueprint for the future cooperation on the mega infrastructure project in the forum. According to Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, BRF Advisory Council, consisting of leading international figures, has been set up to provide advice on the growth of the forum. Exchanging views on strengthening the initiative, the parties will reaffirm their support to the BRI.

Sixth, the five-year achievements of the BRI – which has received strong endorsement and warm support from the international community and was included in the documents of the United Nations – will be evaluated at the forum. Great strides have been made in the BRI as global cooperation has been extended on physical connectivity within the framework of “six economic corridors, six connectivity networks, and multiple countries and ports in different parts of the world”. Yang also said, “China and other participating countries have in recent years set up platforms for multilateral cooperation on port, shipping, finance, taxation, energy, culture, think tank, the media and other areas and launched initiatives on a green Silk Road and a clean Silk Road”. To this end, the past achievements and nationwide cooperation on the initiative will unfold the inclusiveness and openness of the BRI to the participants and ensure that their investment and collaboration will yield productive result for the entire world.

To put it in other words, a strong international support and partnership will be conducive to the revitalization of the ancient Silk Road. The importance of trade, connectivity, and exchanges is self-evident in the globalized world. Chinese officials have constantly reiterated that a nation would not develop in isolation in the current global village. To enhance trade and transit and to build a moderately prosperous society, each nation has to embrace one another with open arms and pave the ground for mutual learning and mutual benefit – it is China’s prospect of conducting the BRF.

World leaders in general and Chinese officials in particular will reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism and free trade, mutual benefit and win-win result, revitalizing global trade interconnection, and reinforcing give-and-take strategy, which are the building blocks of a community with shared and bright future for all members of human family.

The author is an Afghan journalist and freelance writer.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and don't represent the views of China Daily website.