PRESIDENT Xi Jinping announced yesterday that China will host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2019.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with reporters at the end of a two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, which was attended by leaders from 29 countries as well as the heads of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Xi told the journalists that the forum is fruitful. A total of 68 countries and international organizations have signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements with China and a list of more than 270 outcomes was formulated.

These outcomes will lend strong support to the building of the Belt and Road, and serve to boost confidence from all parties to advance cooperation, he said.

The initiative will work to ensure an open world economy, rebalance globalization and work toward trade liberalization, he said, adding that it would also boost support for green and low-carbon development.

At the summit, leaders reached a broad consensus on the Belt and Road cooperation, agreeing that they would promote international cooperation on the Belt and Road development and jointly tackle challenges facing the global economy.

In a speech to close the summit, Xi said the leaders supported closer economic policy coordination and stronger synergy of their development strategies in an effort to achieve coordinated and interconnected development.

“We hope to translate consensus into action and achieve fresh outcomes in practical cooperation,” he said.

In addition, they hoped to build bridges of people-to-people exchange and deliver better lives to the people, according to Xi.

“We believe that the Belt and Road Initiative presents an open and inclusive platform for development where all countries can participate, contribute and benefit as equals,” he said.

Leaders also agreed to set up a “stable and sustainable financial support system with risks controllable” for the Belt and Road development, he said.

Also yesterday, the Chinese Red Cross Foundation launched a program to raise funds for 1 million bicycles for volunteers to provide better humanitarian services in countries along the Belt and Road.

The program, “Volunteers on Wheels,” will raise funds for the first batch of 10,000 bicycles, and they will be fitted with equipment to assist in emergency aid and disaster relief.

(Xinhua)