Xi Jinping, then Party chief of Zhengding, encouraged Zhao to conduct thorough field research and see for himself the real situation on the ground.
The two also engaged in deep discussions on a wide array of subjects ranging from the economy to the people’s livelihood and talent fostering.
Thanks to the assistance from Xi himself and the government of Zhengding, Zhao visited many places in the county and finished an in-depth report of Zhengding after extensive interviews with people from all walks of life.
Wednesday marks the Journalists’ Day in China. Since his early days as a Party cadre, Xi has consistently given his support to the professional development of journalists and shown concern for their well-being.
In June 1998, east China’s Fujian Province sent a group of professionals from various sectors of the province to engage in an assistance program in the Xizang Autonomous Region. Xi, then deputy Party chief of Fujian, led the delegation to the plateau region.
On the first night after they arrived in Xizang, Zhang Hong, one of the reporters in the delegation, felt ill due to lack of oxygen. She asked for help from the hotel where they were staying.
Upon hearing it, Xi gave up his oxygen bag without a second thought to Zhang to ensure the reporter’s safety.
In February 2016, President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made an inspection tour of the country’s leading media outlets and spoke at a symposium on media work following the inspection.
He encouraged journalists to better communicate the Party’s ideas and policies to the public, record the changes of the times, promote social progress, and uphold fairness and justice.
Xi has called on journalists and those working on public communication to absorb new learning, get to know new areas, broaden their horizons, improve their comprehensive skills, and conduct more field research.
He has, on many occasions, highlighted the four essential qualities of a good reporter, which entail the will to get down to the grassroots, the ability to observe clearly, to think profoundly, and to write powerfully.
“To put it simply, a journalist must be trustworthy and reliable,” Xi noted.
In November 2018, doTERRA attended the first CIIE without anticipating that this new platform on the other side of the Pacific would reshape its future. With an exhibition area of only 9 square meters, the company garnered a surprising 380 million yuan (about 53 million U.S. dollars).
Today, China has become the company’s second-largest market worldwide.
“We are like standing on the shoulders of giants to sell products,” said Owen Messick, president of doTERRA China, while recalling his company’s journey at the expo, which entered its sixth edition on Sunday.
To seize the enormous business opportunities brought by the annual expo, doTERRA has launched an essential oil product characterized by Chinese elements at every CIIE since 2019. The company has also established its first overseas R&D center in China.
At the heart of this grand occasion was the dedicated Airport Team, working tirelessly to ensure the smooth arrival and departure of participants. Their responsibilities spanned from issuing visas to ticketing, guaranteeing the safety of participants, and even handling unforeseen flight disruptions. In their unwavering commitment to safety and order, they left no stone unturned to ensure a seamless airport experience for all.
The skilled drivers from the HWPL Convoy Team as another group of volunteers undertook meticulous vehicle inspections to transport the participants with comfort and safety. Their professionalism and dedication left a lasting impression on visitors. The total distance driven by volunteer drivers during the event was approximately 800,000 km, or spinning 20 times of the globe.
Volunteer interpreters also played a vital role in facilitating communication in sessions of the summit. Their commitment to connecting communications ensured a meaningful experience for all involved. “All of the 800 guests participating in over 30 sessions require interpretation. And all materials have to be translated into over 20 languages. Not only private organizations but also most national forums do not operate on such a large scale. Our HWPL interpretation and translation volunteers are carrying out this entire process,” said a volunteer interpreter.
The broadcast media team, consisting of 208 volunteers, worked to capture and convey the essence of the summit to a global audience. “I believe that our videos serve as a powerful tool for spreading a culture of peace, making this event accessible to people around the world in various languages,” said a volunteer.
The medical department prepared a wide range of emergency medicines, from simple digestive medicines, to this event. They are all active doctors, oriental medicine doctors, nurses, volunteering to contribute to peace. Team leader of the Medical Department explained, “Because it is an event held by a private organization, many people do not know whether a medical team is prepared.” At the same time, he added that guest-room-visit for medical checks were also conducted.
All staff in the Security Department, which is responsible for the safety of personnel, are not professional security guards but volunteers made up of able-bodied men and women who have gathered for peace. In relation to this, Deputy General Manager of the Security Department, said, “For the event, about 400 Security Department members received continuous education and training starting in March with actual simulations.”
The installation team was responsible for the critical infrastructure necessary to make the event a success. They handled electrical setups, stage installations, and maintenance throughout the event, ensuring a seamless experience for attendees.
“All of these volunteers, driven by their passion for peace, are working tirelessly to support the peace summit, and their unwavering commitment is truly remarkable. We HWPL would like to appreciate their dedication and hope that the government will support this peace movement,” said a HWPL official.
HWPL, a South Korea-based international peace NGO affiliated with the UN ECOSOC and the UN DGC, has carried out global peace movements for world peace and cessation of war since its foundation in 2013. South Korea recently suffered from the recent 2023 World Scout Jamboree with global participants with poor management and apology from the government.
On the 12th, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international NGO headquartered in South Korea and affiliated with the UN Economic and Social Council and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, released a statement regarding the Israel-Hamas war. This is HWPL’s third official statement advocating peace, following the statement on the human rights crisis of Myanmar in March 2021 and on Russia-Ukraine War in February 2022.
In the statement, HWPL said, “It is the innocent civilians who become the victims in wars, and everyone in the world is witnessing this situation in real time. Failing to stop an unjustified war will result in thousands and tens of thousands of civilian casualties. Can anyone compensate for such devastating atrocities?”
HWPL added that it urges “for the two parties of the war to immediately cease the acts of aggression, protect the citizens, and actively engage in efforts to ensure recovery and peace”, and calls on “the UN and the international community to swiftly take necessary measures such as mediating peace between the two parties to bring them to a dialogue and providing humanitarian support.”
On March 14, 2016, HWPL, together with international law experts from 15 countries, drafted and announced the “Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW)” for an international law for peace. This declaration proposes international cooperation, citizen participation and cultural approaches to conflict prevention, mediation, and peace. HWPL announced that it plans to submit the DPCW to the United Nations. Through peace activities in more than 170 countries, HWPL is specifying action plans to build a world of peace by establishing institutional approach to the international community and raising peace awareness among the public.
From further improving connectivity to supporting an open world economy, Xi unveiled eight major steps to bring Belt and Road cooperation to a new stage of higher-quality and higher-level development in a keynote speech at the opening of a high-profile forum.
Xi vowed to speed up high-quality development of China-Europe Railway Express and, together with other parties, build a new logistics corridor across the Eurasian continent linked by direct railway and road transportation.
China will enter into free trade agreements and investment protection treaties with more countries and remove all restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector, Xi said.
Both signature projects and “small yet smart” livelihood programs will be promoted with more financing support. Two Chinese policy banks will each set up a 350 billion yuan (48.75 billion U.S. dollars) financing window, and an additional 80 billion yuan will be injected into the Silk Road Fund, according to Xi.
The president also pledged more commitment into green development, scientific and technological innovation, people-to-people exchanges, integrity-based Belt and Road cooperation, and the institutional building for international Belt and Road cooperation.
The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held on Tuesday and Wednesday was the most significant celebration for the 10th anniversary of the BRI.
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Attendees of the opening ceremony spoke highly of Xi’s speech.
“It was an inspiring speech. It delivered clear messages on the future of the Belt and Road cooperation and how China’s robust economic growth will benefit the world as well as foreign investors like us,” said Atakan Bozkurt, chief executive officer of Burger King China.
“President Xi’s vision is appreciated by so many people in the world,” said Vito Rosario Petrocelli, president of Italy BRICS Institute. “The BRI is the best initiative to make the Global South better and can give a lot of opportunities to developing countries and play a very big role in protecting the environment.”
Ismail Hakki Musa, ambassador of Türkiye to China, said few imagined that the BRI would have such influence and force to transform the world in economic, infrastructure and development areas. “Today everyone is aware of the fact that this is an unprecedented achievement.”
Xi consecutively proposed building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in 2013. The pairing later came to be known as the BRI.
Over the past 10 years, the BRI has evolved from ideas into actions and from a vision into reality.
Speeding trains and trucks have become trade symbols in the new era, just like camel caravans in the past. Hydro stations and wind plants have helped in removing the development bottleneck for developing countries. Brand new airports, harbors, and industrial parks have brought fresh momentum to regional growth.
By promoting the Belt and Road cooperation, China is pursuing modernization not for itself, but for all developing countries through joint efforts.
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“Global modernization should be pursued to enhance peaceful development and mutually beneficial cooperation and bring prosperity to all,” Xi said.
So far, more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations have signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements, with the initiative extending from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America.
Jiri Paroubek, former prime minister of the Czech Republic, said the Belt and Road will help many countries of the developing world to increase their development, and also the living standards of the people.
The BRI transcends differences between civilizations, cultures, social systems, and stages of development, and has opened up a new path for exchanges among countries, and established a new framework for international cooperation, Xi said.
Looking back at the past decade, Xi said the achievements demonstrate that the Belt and Road cooperation is on the right side of history. “It represents the advancing of our times, and it is the right path forward.”
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“China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better,” Xi said, noting that China, opening its door even wider to the world, has become a main trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions and a primary source of investment for more countries.
Xi said that win-win cooperation is the sure way to success in launching major initiatives that benefit all, and that the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit is the most important source of strength for Belt and Road cooperation.
“Ideological confrontation, geopolitical rivalry and bloc politics are not a choice for us. What we stand against are unilateral sanctions, economic coercion and decoupling and supply chain disruption,” said the Chinese president.
“Today the world needs a common and collective approach to tackle the tremendous challenges we all have, and I think the BRI puts everyone in connection,” said Miguel Moratinos, high representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations.
The changes brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the past decade have been so transformative that they are not only striking to our naked eyes but clearly visible in the satellite images. Check out the video to get a glimpse from space of this down-to-earth initiative.
[Click this link to watch the video->https://english.news.cn/20231016/829496f3f48842eda8bc19d7f0d64783/c.html]
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua’s China Chat Show, Jacques described the BRI as an “epic project, epic narrative, and epic reflection on Chinese history.”
This grand project is made possible by China’s ability to draw upon its history as a great nation as well as its unmatched ability to think on a grand scale. “No other country would think of something like this, because China thinks big,” he said.
The BRI was initiated by China in 2013 to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. This year marks its 10th anniversary, and the eagerly anticipated third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in Beijing from Oct. 17 to 18.
China’s ambitious vision for a new global paradigm is also a reflection of its identity as a developing country itself, argued Jacques.
The developing countries, representing about 85 percent of the world’s population, only made up one-third of global GDP in the 1970s. Today the figure has reached 60 percent, with the BRI contributing to this transformation.
The developing world is “overwhelmingly signed up to the idea,” as the benefits of joining the initiative are clear for all to see, while the BRI has made development “one of the central priorities on the global agenda,” Jacques noted.
Crucially, he said, such a paradigm shift would never have come about were it left to the West, whose relationship with the developing world has been built upon a foundation of colonial exploitation.
This inability to view the developing world in more equal terms has meant that the West was “caught completely flat-footed on the Belt and Road,” he added.
While the West continues to view the world in terms of competing blocs, China is putting forward an entirely different vision for international relations.
This alternative path reflects an increasingly globalized world, one with “wider, broader interests that bring sections of humanity and ultimately the whole of humanity together,” he said.
Of course, with such an ambitious and monumental project, there will be bumps in the road, for as Jacques noted, “If there are no problems at all, then excuse me, but there’s no project.”
Looking at the entirety of the project, the BRI has been remarkably successful, and there is no sign of it slowing down anytime soon. As Jacques put it simply, “I think it’s here to stay, and it will stay.”
Ten years on, the initiative has evolved from a vision into reality through the collaborative efforts of all participating nations, becoming a widely-appreciated public good and a global driver of inclusive growth.
Over the past few decades, the global economy has contended with insufficient inclusivity, imbalances, and increasing wealth inequality. While some countries and regions have made notable strides economically and socially, other parts of the world have grappled with persistent poverty, inequality and developmental obstacles.
A decade ago, and with its strong focus on inclusive growth, the BRI offered the world a timely and practical solution infused with Chinese wisdom to address these very challenges.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping has said, no country or nation should be left behind on the road to the well-being of all humankind. All countries and nations are equally entitled to development opportunities and rights to development.
What exactly is the initiative? Consider it a public road open to all, not a private path owned by one party. All interested countries are welcome aboard to participate and share in its benefits.
As Xi has said, the BRI may be China’s idea, but its opportunities and outcomes are going to benefit the world.
By June 2023, China had signed more than 200 BRI cooperation agreements with over 150 countries and 30 international organizations across five continents.
Contrary to protecting the narrow interests of a group of countries that divide the world, China’s endeavor to promote multilateralism via the BRI helps create a harmonious world, Kostas Gouliamos, former rector of European University Cyprus, once argued.
The BRI has offered more countries a greater say in the global economy.
From 2013 to 2022, the cumulative value of imports and exports between China and BRI partner countries was 19.1 trillion U.S. dollars, with an average annual growth rate of 6.4 percent.
Furthermore, the BRI embodies equitable development, striving to assist countries in overcoming poverty and ushering in an era of development.
Looking back over the past decade, the BRI has addressed the significant bottlenecks restricting connectivity and economic growth in most developing countries by constructing essential railway, highway, pipeline, shipping, energy and communications infrastructure.
From the China-Laos Railway that transformed landlocked Laos into a land-linked hub to Kenya’s Mombasa-Nairobi Railway contributing 2 percent to the African nation’s economic growth, notable impactful projects have effectively reduced the cost for countries to participate in international trade, increased access to the global economy and stimulated development.
The ultimate goal of the pursuit of economic growth, development and prosperity is to enhance living standards. To ensure the benefits of cooperation are as widely available as possible, the Belt and Road cooperation focuses on food safety, poverty alleviation and job creation.
China, a country that has won the historical battle against extreme poverty, has strengthened poverty reduction efforts in BRI countries through agricultural cooperation, expertise and technology transfer.
Additionally, industrial collaboration and job creation through Belt and Road cooperation improve local employment and alleviate poverty. Data from a McKinsey survey revealed that Chinese firms in Africa recruited 89 percent of their employees locally.
“I acknowledge that my story and dreams would be irrelevant, were it not for the BRI, which has truly opened doors for my career,” Mirriam Gakii Kirimi, a young woman who currently works as a translator for Guangxi Hydroelectric Construction Bureau under the China Energy International Group which has undertaken road and dam projects in Kenya, told Xinhua.
The BRI’s core principles of “extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits” have become recognized globally, with reference in important documents from international organizations and international bodies like the United Nations and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
As a 21st-century, long-term, transnational and systematic global project, the BRI has succeeded in taking its first step on a long journey. Setting out from this new starting point, the BRI will demonstrate greater creativity and vitality, become more open and inclusive, and generate new opportunities for both China and the rest of the world.
