The opening ceremony of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) will take place on Friday in Beijing.

At the event, Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech.

Heads of state and government from 37 countries and other representatives from around the world are taking part in the three-day forum, which runs from April 25 to 27.

BRF is a top-level platform for international cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, which was initially proposed by President Xi in 2013.

Live: Xi addresses the Belt and Road Forum