Greater BRI science teamwork expected

President Xi Jinping has called on scientific organizations from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance cooperation and contribute more to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi made the remark in a letter to the First General Assembly of the Alliance of International Science Organizations in the Belt and Road Region on Sunday.

Xi’s letter also congratulated the assembly on the opening of the Second International Science Forum of Scientific Organizations on the Belt and Road Initiative. Both events opened on Sunday in Beijing and end on Monday.

Xi said jointly building the Belt and Road has been welcomed by the international community, and strengthening scientific cooperation with countries along the BRI is a key part of building the overall project.

Scientific cooperation has also played a positive role in improving people’s livelihoods, facilitating growth and jointly tackling common challenges, Xi added.

He hoped the scientific communities from countries involved in the initiative can make good use of the platform, and enhance coordination in scientific and innovation-related policies and development strategies.

Xi also urged scientific organizations to cooperate in major scientific and technology projects, nurture innovative talent and improve new capabilities in order to make important contributions to promoting people-to-people relations and the sustainable development of the economy and society, as well as building a green and innovative development path.

The alliance is an international, nonprofit and nongovernmental scientific organization jointly created by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and organizations from around the world.

So far, there are 32 member organizations from countries including Russia, Pakistan, Poland, Hungary, Brazil and other Latin American and European countries working with the alliance, according to its website.

The International Science Forum of Scientific Organizations on the BRI was first held in Beijing in November 2016.

The forum aims to promote scientific innovation and cooperation, and to facilitate development for countries involved in the initiative.