Global Vision: China seeks closer cooperation with countries along Belt and Road routes

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02:13

2018 marks the fifth year since the Belt and Road Initiative was unveiled. At a forum held in south China's Zhuhai city, Chinese officials, business tycoons, and global scholars stressed the importance of opening-up and multilateral trade. He WeiWei reports.

Fruitful cooperation via the Belt and Road Initiative highlights the opening ceremony at this forum in southern China's Guangdong province.

Total trade volume between China and countries along the route over the past five years has reached 5 trillion US dollars. This has created numerous job opportunities and benefited people of different countries.

SHEN HAIXIONG PRESIDENT, CHINA MEDIA GROUP (MALE, CHN) "Over the past five years, China continues its opening up to promote common prosperity, offering solutions to global problems. That shows China is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a firm defender of international order."

JEAN-PIERRE RAFFARIN FORMER FRENCH PRIME MINISTER "We need to have cooperation, and I think the Belt and Road Initiative is the best project of international cooperation."

Guangdong, the site of the event, is one of southern China's economic hubs. Several panels are discussing how can China keep constant growth and play a bigger role in global prosperity.

A report on Guangdong's international business efforts says the province is broadening and deepening its foreign trade in sectors like high-end manufacturing, service trade, energy and maritime economy.

HE WEIWEI ZHUHAI, GUANGDONG PROVINCE "'New Era, New Silk Road, New Image', this is the theme of the forum. Looking ahead, experts say China will continue to collaborate with countries along the Belt and Road, developing with them, and facing challenges together. HWW, CGTN, ZHUHAI."