China, Eurasian countries to cooperate more via Belt and Road Initiative

2017-09-22
Xinhua

Vice-Premier Wang Yang delivers a keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the 2017 Euro-Asia Economic Forum in Xi’an, capital of Northwest China’s Shaanxi province, Sept 21, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]

XI’AN — China is willing to integrate the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of Eurasian countries, Vice-Premier Wang Yang said on Sept 21.

In his address to the 2017 Euro-Asia Economic Forum in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi province, Wang said the forum is an important platform for the joint construction of the Belt and Road.

The Euro-Asia Economic Forum is a high-level, open international meeting for the Eurasian region which is held biennially.

The forum plays an important role in promoting pragmatic cooperation, mutual understanding and trust between China and Eurasian countries, Wang said.

He said cooperative potential should be turned into more pragmatic achievements and strengthening of the vitality of the regional economy to benefit their people.

It is an important task for China and Eurasian countries to implement the consensus reached at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in May, Wang said.

The vice-premier expressed his hope that China and Eurasian countries will increase work on policy consultation, infrastructure connectivity, trade promotion, financial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Wang also stressed the need for advancing the connectivity of land, sea, sky and the internet.

He said China and Eurasian countries need to break the trade bottleneck, discuss and sign trade facilitation agreements and improve regional economic cooperation arrangements.

China encourages its financial institutes, the Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to support more cooperative programs in Eurasian countries, Wang said.