Liu Weidong

CCTV News (News Network): In 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed a major initiative to jointly build the "Belt and Road". Today, the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has achieved solid and heavy achievements, opening up a new world for China's opening up and development. , to open up a path of opportunity for all countries to lead to common prosperity.

Since the beginning of this year, in the face of the complex situation of the century-old changes and the overlapping of the epidemic in the century, in the first four months, the total import and export of my country and the countries along the "Belt and Road" reached 3.97 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15.4%. The "Belt and Road" cooperation has shown strong resilience and vigorous vitality.

In the past few days, at the Zhengzhou railway port in Henan, goods such as daily necessities and anti-epidemic materials are being assembled, ready to take the China-Europe train to Uzbekistan. At present, the number of departure and arrival routes of the China Railway Express in Zhengzhou has increased to 16.

Today, Henan, which is not along the border and does not rely on the sea, has established trade links with more than 200 countries and regions around the world. Like Henan, many inland provinces have opened up new land trade channels through the opening of China-Europe trains.

In 2021, the number of trains operating from the five major China-Europe train assembly centers in Xi'an, Chongqing, Chengdu, Zhengzhou and Urumqi will account for 55% of the national total. From the end of opening to the front of opening, the great change in the opening and development of the inland hinterland originated from the "Belt and Road" major initiative proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping.
 

In the autumn of 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the “Belt and Road” initiative for the first time during his visit.This is a major strategic decision made by the General Secretary focusing on the general trend of the times, coordinating both domestic and international situations, based on the present, and planning for the long-term.

Since the "Belt and Road" initiative was proposed, General Secretary Xi Jinping has thought deeply and made far-reaching plans, and has held three symposiums on promoting the joint construction of the "Belt and Road". At each symposium, General Secretary Xi Jinping made important arrangements according to the changes in the international and domestic situation. From drawing a blueprint for cooperation on policy communication, facility connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds, to focusing on key points, in-depth cultivation, and working together to draw meticulous and delicate "fine strokes", to the steady development of healthy, green, digital, and innovative We should cooperate in new fields and cultivate new growth points for cooperation... One key node, one top-level design, the goal of jointly building the "Belt and Road" will be firmer and the direction will be clearer.

Adhering to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the "Belt and Road" has become a world-renowned international public product and an international cooperation platform. So far, my country has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with 149 countries and 32 international organizations.
 

As a landmark project of the "Belt and Road", since the opening of the China-Laos Railway, more than 2.2 million passengers have been sent, which has greatly facilitated the travel of people along the line. The shipped goods cover more than 10 countries and regions including Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, etc., paving the "fast lane" for economic development and regional common prosperity along the route.

Like the China-Laos Railway, the countries along the “Belt and Road” are now more efficiently interconnected, and major landmark projects such as the China-Thailand Railway, the Hungary-Serbia Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have made positive progress.

The joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has brought huge opportunities and dividends to the world. The cumulative trade volume between China and the countries along the route has exceeded 10 trillion US dollars. Chinese enterprises have invested more than 140 billion US dollars in non-financial direct investment in the countries along the route. More than 16,000 enterprises have been established, creating a large number of jobs and promoting common development.

From the "hard connection" of infrastructure to the "soft connection" of rules and standards, and then to the "heart connection" of the people in the joint construction of the country, today, the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" continues to move towards a high-standard, sustainable, and people-friendly approach. Go forward with firm goals and pave a bright road to a better world.