The opening ceremony of the 4th International Forum on Belt and Road Initiative and Global Governance was held at Fudan on November 28.
The Forum was held in Guanghua Building
According to Guo Yezhou, vice minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of CPC, the COVID-19 pandemic could help bolster the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), demonstrating its strong resilience and vigorous vitality. In the process of building a new development pattern in China, the BRI has become an integral part of China’s overall economic and social development, serving as a tie connecting the domestic and international dual circulation of China’s economy.
Guo Yezhou
Guo Yezhou proposed that we should seize the opportunities brought by China’s new development pattern to build a high-quality Belt and Road, helping the international community to understand that the two proposals are interrelated and mutually beneficial.
Meanwhile, we should join hands with countries along the Belt and Road to explore new problem-solving paths for the construction of an open, inclusive and dynamic global governance mechanism. Guo emphasized that maximizing the mobility of all entities in global governance and gathering forces from all parties are essential to promoting global governance toward a more just and reasonable direction.
Jiao Yang
Jiao Yang, Chair of the University Council and Dean of the Fudan Institute of Belt and Road & Global Governance pointed out that despite the impact of unfavorable factors such as the pandemic and the global economic downturn, the BRI has continued to buck the trend with great resilience. Specifically, the pandemic demands strengthening global cooperation in the field of public health, and BRI would play an essential role in promoting international anti-epidemic cooperation, Jiao said.
Efforts will be made to boost interdisciplinary and cross-field collaboration with regard to medical research and service so that a community of human health can be built. Moreover, it is important to further deepen and expand exchanges of information, resources, talents, and culture along the Belt and Road to develop a normalized cooperation mechanism which allows global wisdom to flourish in global governance during the pandemic and the post-pandemic era.
Vincent Lo
Vincent Lo, Chairman of Shui On Group, highlighted that amid the world’s fight against the pandemic, the golden principles of BRI—Extensive Consultation, Joint Contribution and Shared Benefits—can bring global cooperation back to the right track. China has always been one of the major promoters in globalization. The BRI proposed by China is an inclusive development strategy, and its vitality is fully demonstrated in today’s complex and changeable world.
“It meets contemporary needs, enables partners to put differences aside and to contribute to the common progress and development of mankind,” said Vincent Lo.
Chen Fahu
Chen Fahu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, pointed out that the BRI offers a larger platform for cultural exchange between the East and the West, which enables new ideas to emerge for the sustainable development of globalization.
He emphasized that “ANSO Intercontinental Exchange and Silk Road Civilization Alliance (ATES)” will dedicate itself to telling China’s stories and the story of the Belt and Road, ultimately deepening interpersonal bonds and promoting the realization of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Marcos Troyjo
The President of New Development Bank Marcos Troyjo believes that the changes of the international order requires a brand-new system, and global governance plays an important role in it. In the post-pandemic era, global governance will enter into a new stage. He made suggestions on global governance in the post-epidemic era in terms of investment, market, value chain and talent.
Zhao Baige
Moreover, Zhao Baige, vice chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress, chair of the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative International Think Tank Expert Committee of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences as well as chair of the Project of Research and Development International (RDI) Expert Committee, also delivered a speech at the ceremony.
She pointed out that the golden principles of BRI, namely “Extensive Consultation, Joint Contribution and Shared Benefits”, constitute an important content of the new global governance. In the course of developing BRI, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of international governance mechanisms and attach importance to developing countries and countries along the Belt and Road.
Zhao emphasized that enterprises should play a critical role in the formation of a high-tech industrial structure driven by the fourth industrial revolution. To achieve that, she urged us to fully leverage different resources such as technology and finance to form new corporate alliances and organizations.
As the chair of the RDI Expert Committee, Zhao also told the forum that RDI has so far built four networks: think tank network, international network, corporate network and city network. RDI is willing to work with all parties to jointly build a high-quality Belt and Road.
Jusuf Wanandi
Jusuf Wanandi, a senior researcher at the Indonesia Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), pointed out that the positive impact of the BRI in supporting economic development is beyond doubt. By facilitating the infrastructure development and interconnection among countries along the route, the BRI has played an important role in promoting BRI countries’ development and prosperity as well as advancing globalization. He expects the BRI to be embraced by more parts of the world as China continues to strengthen communication and deepen regional multilateral cooperation.
Chen Wenling
Chief economist of the China International Economic Exchange Center Chen Wenling believes that the greatest achievement of the BRI in the past seven years is that China has built a platform for the world to consult, contribute and share benefits together. This platform provides a promising development paradigm for a great number of developing countries. She looks forward to seeing the “Belt and Road” sustain its high-quality development and BRI countries jointly enjoy the prosperity that the initiative brings.
It has been 3 years since the International Forum on the Belt and Road Initiative and Global Governance became a platform that brought together experts from the political, business and academic circles to discuss the BRI as well as global governance issues. It has dedicated itself not only to promoting Chinese companies to “go global” but also to providing a window for the world to fully understand China. It is also committed to promoting the BRI countries to join hands in the construction of the “Belt and Road” and ultimately prosper together.
