China opening its door even wider to world, says President Xi

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said his country is opening its door even wider to the world as Beijing is already the main trading partner of over 140 countries and regions.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, Xi also announced his eight major steps to jointly build a high-quality Belt and Road Initiative, according to state-run Global Times.

"When the world is good, China will be good; when China is good, the world will be better," Xi said, according to a transcript published by the Foreign Ministry on its website.

Observing the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, China is hosting the two-day forum, with over 4,000 representatives and officials attending from around 140 nations and 30 international organizations.

Leaders from several countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, are attending the event.

“The ‘Belt and Road’ cooperation extends from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America. More than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations have signed cooperation documents on the joint construction of the Belt and Road,” Xi said.

Announcing his eight major steps to move forward with his initiative, Xi said Beijing will build a three-dimensional interconnection network along the Belt and Road Initiative.

China will create a “Silk Road E-commerce” cooperation pilot zone and negotiate free trade agreements and investment protection agreements with more countries, and comprehensively remove restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector, he said.

To promote green development, Xi said China will continue to deepen cooperation in green infrastructure, green energy, green transportation, and other fields.

The Belt and Road Initiative, billed as recreating the ancient Silk Road to boost global trade infrastructure, was proposed by Xi in 2013 to connect China with the markets of Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.

With more than 200 cooperation agreements spread across 150 countries and 30 international organizations, the cumulative value of imports and exports between China and the partner countries has reached $19.1 trillion, with an average annual growth rate of 6.4% from 2013 until 2022.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid