Focus on Silk Road economic belt
Expansion of ancient trade route high on agenda at Euro-Asia forum
XI’AN: The fifth Euro-Asia Economic Forum opened here with the Silk Road economic belt high on the agenda.
President Xi Jinping’s proposal for the Silk Road belt has brought unprecedented opportunities for regional development, said VicePremier Wang Yang at the opening ceremony of the forum.
Eurasian countries should push forward with more, higher level, broader regional cooperation, with a firmer resolve and more practical measures, to make the idea a reality as soon as possible for the benefit of the people, said Wang in his keynote speech.
He stressed mutual political trust and common development in the region, calling for opening up and fighting protectionism in all forms, promoting mutual understanding and deepening friendship by expanding exchanges in education, culture and tourism.
The three-day conference in Xi’an, capital of northwest Shaanxi province, attracted about 2,000 delegates from 75 countries, regions and international organisations, including foreign leaders such as Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Ukrainian First Vice-Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov.
Themed “deepening pragmatic cooperation and promote common prosperity”, the forum features eight main seminars on cultural heritage, ecological safety, economic growth, education, energy development, financial cooperation, new technology and tourism development.
Afghanistan supports Silk Road economic belt proposal and wants to be part of regional cooperation, said Karzai at the opening ceremony.
During his visit to Kazakhstan in early September, Xi put forward the proposal of a Silk Road economic belt to deepen cooperation and make economic ties closer among European and Asian nations.
The Silk Road refers to the land trade route opened when Zhang Qian was sent west on a diplomatic mission more than 2,000 years ago.
Starting from the city known today as Xi’an, the ancient Silk Road ran through northwest China’s Gansu province and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Central and Western Asia, before reaching the Mediterranean.
China remains a developing center to the whole world and China’s development brings opportunities to other countries, said Serhiy Arbuzov.
Shaanxi, near the geographical centre of China, plays an important role in China’s opening up to the West, said Governor Lou Qinjian. — Xinhua