Xi and Putin hailed the Belt and Road Initiative as a “success story” that unites the world as they opened a high-level forum on the initiative in Beijing.
"The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will inject new impetus into the global economy," Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening of the third Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in Beijing this morning. "BRI aims to enhance connectivity in policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people-to-people exchanges."
The BRF is being held amid tensions in the world with war hotspots, including the Israel-Hamas conflict. Xi stressed that China will not engage in "geopolitical games, ideological confrontations or blocs."
President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the BRF on October 18 in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua
“We oppose unilateral sanctions, coercion or economic decoupling,” he said. “Viewing others’ development as a threat, or economic interdependence as a risk, will not make our lives better or accelerate our development.”
The Chinese president said that only “win-win cooperation” can bring good results. “China is willing to deepen cooperation with Belt and Road partners and make unremitting efforts to promote modernization in every country in the world,” he said. “BRI originates in China, but the fruits and opportunities it brings belong to the world.”
Russian President Valdimir Putin then spoke at the forum, calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a "dear friend" and thanking the Chinese leader for the invitation to attend the forum.
"Like most countries in the world, Russia and China share a desire for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation aimed at achieving long-term, sustainable economic progress and social welfare across the globe, while respecting the diversity of civilizations and the right of each country to its own development model," Putin said.
The Russian president said that when BRI was initiated more than 10 years ago, "many people did not think it would be successful". "But our Chinese friends did it. We are very happy to see this success story because it means a lot to many of us", Mr Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at BRF on October 18. Photo: AFP
According to him, BRI is cooperating with Russia to develop a series of transport infrastructure across the world's largest country, most notably the Northern Sea Route running from Murmansk near Russia's border with Norway eastward, to the Bering Strait near the US state of Alaska.
"As for the Northern Sea Route, Russia not only offers its partners to actively use the transit potential, we also invite interested countries to directly participate in its development. Russia is ready to provide icebreakers for navigation, communications and reliable supplies," Putin said. "Starting next year, cargo ships will be able to navigate the entire length of the Northern Sea Route all year round."
The trip to China is Mr Putin's first visit to a country outside the former Soviet Union this year. He attended the Belt and Road Forum in China in 2017 and 2019.
Putin and Xi met on the evening of October 17 at the opening event of the forum, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. The two leaders are scheduled to hold talks on the sidelines of the forum today, focusing on regional and international issues.
BRI is an initiative launched by China in 2012 to strengthen trade routes connecting China with Europe, the Middle East and Africa. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by the end of 2022, China had signed 206 BRI cooperation agreements with 151 countries and 32 international organizations, implementing about 3,000 projects in many fields with a total investment of nearly 1,000 billion USD.
Huyen Le (According to AFP , Reuters )
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