Wang Jingli

wangjingli0715@163.com

THE “China in Sight, Global Insight” Forum 2023, held Friday in Qianhai, received commendations from foreign participants who praised Chinese modernization as an important reference for the world and suggested that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has provided strong impetus to global socioeconomic development.

Danilo Türk, former president of the Republic of Slovenia, told Shenzhen Daily that Shenzhen’s technological advancements have established the city as a global brand and a leading force in the world, a position he believes will persist in the future.

Türk also noted Shenzhen’s potential to become a major hub for legal services, emphasizing the importance of legal regulation, implementation, and dispute resolution for future collaborations.

Official data revealed that in the first 10 months of this year, Shenzhen’s imports and exports to BRI countries reached a record high of 1.06 trillion yuan (US$148.4 billion), marking a 10.4% year-on-year increase.

Türk emphasized the potential benefits for BRI countries, citing areas such as e-commerce, technological innovation, and the development of energy transport systems and electric grids. He stressed that China’s advantages in these areas could be shared with BRI partner countries.

Foteini Charalampous, a member of the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) in Larnaca, Cyprus, praised the technologies witnessed in Shenzhen as examples of how life in Cyprus could be made easier, faster, and more efficient. Charalampous highlighted the impressive achievements of local companies, emphasizing their positive impact on people’s lives.

Angela Munoz Olmos from the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Spain commended Shenzhen as a compelling example of China’s pursuit of modernization, noting the city’s rapid development in a short period of time.

Olmos underscored Shenzhen’s commitment to sustainable development, the harmony between nature and humanity, industrial cooperation, and technological advancements as key contributors to Chinese modernization.

The forum featured a signing ceremony where eight foreign think tanks, including Kazakhstan’s “Belt and Road” Experts Club, Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia-Pacific of Malaysia, and Asia-Pacific Research Center of Russia, joined the Silk Road Think Tank Association. The “China in Sight, Global Insight” Forum 2023 Shenzhen Initiative was also unveiled during the event, aiming to inspire other countries to chart their paths to modernization.

Hosted by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, the forum attracted around 150 politicians, think tank leaders, and business representatives from 30 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.