PRESIDENT Xi Jinping yesterday announced eight major steps China will take to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

First, China will build a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network, Xi said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF).

The country will speed up high-quality development of the China-Europe Railway Express, participate in the trans-Caspian international transportation corridor, and host the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum, the president said.

He noted that China, together with other parties, will build a new logistics corridor across the Eurasian continent linked by direct railway and road transportation.

Second, China will support an open world economy, with its total trade in goods and services expected to exceed US$32 trillion and US$5 trillion respectively in the 2024-2028 period, Xi said.

He said the country will establish pilot zones for Silk Road e-commerce cooperation, and enter into free trade agreements and investment protection treaties with more countries.

The country will remove all restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector, he said.

Third, China will carry out practical cooperation for the BRI. The country will promote both signature projects and “small yet smart” livelihood programs, the president said.

The China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China will each set up a 350 billion yuan (US$48.75 billion) financing window, and that an additional 80 billion yuan will be injected into the Silk Road Fund.

Fourth, China will continue to promote green development. The country will further deepen cooperation in areas such as green infrastructure, green energy and green transportation.

Fifth, China will continue to advance scientific and technological innovation. China will continue to implement the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan, and hold the first Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange, noted Xi.

The country will also increase the number of joint laboratories built with other Belt and Road parties to 100 in the next five years, he said.

Sixth, China will support people-to-people exchanges. China will host the Liangzhu Forum to enhance dialogue on civilizations with BRI partner countries, the president said.

Seventh, China will promote integrity-based Belt and Road cooperation. Together with its cooperation partners, China will release the Achievements and Prospects of Belt and Road Integrity Building and the High-Level Principles on Belt and Road Integrity Building, Xi announced.

Eighth, China will strengthen the institutional building for international Belt and Road cooperation. China will work with its BRI partner countries to strengthen the building of multilateral cooperation platforms covering energy, taxation, finance, green development, disaster reduction, anti-corruption, think tank, media, culture and other fields, Xi said. (Xinhua)

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