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SCIO briefing on development of Belt and Road Initiative

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Speakers:
Ning Jizhe, vice director of the Office of the Leading Group for the Belt and Road Initiative, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, head of the National Bureau of Statistics

Qian Keming, vice minister of commerce

Zhang Jun, assistant minister of foreign affairs

Chairperson:
Hu Kaihong, spokesperson for the State Council Information Office of China

Date:
August 27, 2018

CRNTT:

I have a question for Mr. Zhang Jun. The Beijing summit of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation is about to be held. We know that the joint development of Belt and Road Initiative is an important topic for China-Africa cooperation. People have talked about Africa as a pilot region for joint efforts to build the "Belt and Road". What do you think of this? What challenges do you think China and Africa face in carrying out the "Belt and Road" cooperation? Thank you.

Zhang Jun:

The construction of the "Belt and Road" is especially targeted at the Asia-Europe-Africa continents, and African countries are one of the key areas for the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative. As a major group of developing countries, Africa is facing the arduous task of infrastructure construction and economic and social development. Supporting and helping Africa achieve peaceful development and stability has always been one of the priorities of China's diplomacy. For a long time, we have invested a lot in the development of Africa, and have made great achievements.

In recent years, it has been an important part of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to inject vitality and motivation for African development through the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Beijing Summit will be held in Beijing, with China and Africa having agreed to promote the Belt and Road cooperation in Africa, both sides should strengthen integration and docking between China's development strategy and "Belt and Road" joint contribution, and the Africa's Agenda 2063, as well as strengthening the connection and docking between the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African development strategies. Those will be an important part of this year's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Both sides have great expectations for the outcome of the forum.

As far as I know, at the Beijing Summit of the forum, more than a dozen documents on cooperation between China and African countries will be signed, which will further promote and implement the cooperation between China and Africa in joint contribution for the "Belt and Road." At the same time, China-Africa cooperation also has a broader space. For example, during the meeting of the BRICS leaders not long ago, President Xi Jinping met with African leaders and reached a broad consensus on further deepening China-Africa cooperation. An important achievement of the BRICS Summit Johannesburg was the establishment of a new industrial revolution partnership. We look forward to the advancement of the BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution, which will not only enable Africa and developing countries to address the issues of food, clothing and basic needs of development, but also enable developing countries to catch up with the new industrial revolution and better seize opportunities for development from the process of scientific and technological development in the current world. Under the complex and changing economic situation, we can better meet the challenges and achieve common development with other countries in the world.