Launch Ceremony for The Belt and Road Initiative by Xi Jinping in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Japanese
On October 16, the launch ceremony for the multiple language editions of The Belt and Road Initiative by Xi Jinping was held in Beijing on the eve of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee Wang Gang attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. In addition, former Prime Minister of Egypt Essam Sharaf delivered a video speech. The ceremony was attended by President of China International Communications Group (CICG) Du Zhanyuan, Panamanian Ambassador to China Leonardo Kam, Syrian Ambassador to China Mhd. Hasanein Khaddam, Peruvian Ambassador to China Marco V. Balarezo, Kuwaiti Ambassador to China Jasem Ibrahem Al-Najem, Director of the Islamabad-based Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies Muhammad Asif Noor, Executive Dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies and Deputy Dean of Silk Road School, Renmin University of China Wang Wen, and Honorary Chief English Editor and Senior Expert in International Communication at Foreign Languages Press David Ferguson. CICG Vice President Gao Anming hosted the ceremony.
▲ The Launch Ceremony
▲ Du Zhanyuan delivering a speech
Du Zhanyuan delivered a speech at the launch ceremony and noted that The Belt and Road Initiative is a collection of President Xi’s important statements on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), documenting the evolution of the initiative from proposal through development and the actions that have turned it from a vision into reality. He said he believes that the book is an ideal reading for the international community to understand the BRI. Inspired by the book, he shared some thoughts on the traditional Chinese cultural values embodied in the initiative, including a vision of a shared future that pursues common development in universal harmony and aims to promote common prosperity for all countries; a vision of cooperative development that focuses on bringing prosperity to the peoples of all countries, increasing their sense of wellbeing and improving their lives; and a vision of mutual learning among civilizations that highlights diversity and harmony and emphasizes the realization of harmony and common prosperity among all countries. He emphasized that CICG will continue to leverage its strengths in comprehensive communication, and that it will work with its international partners to tell fascinating stories showing how the BRI benefits the world and humanity and make new contributions to carrying forward the Silk Road spirit and promoting high-quality BRI cooperation.
▲Essam Sharaf delivering a video speech
Essam Sharaf delivered a video speech at the ceremony, where he affirmed the successes of the BRI in the past decade since its birth and the importance of the publication of The Belt and Road Initiative in Arabic. He noted that the book contains visions and ideas of extraordinary wisdom. He said that the BRI, proposed at a critical moment when the world was subjected to unilateralism and hegemonism, is a historic initiative offering not only a platform for international cooperation for the world, but also a new way for humanity. It has improved the wellbeing, peace and security of humanity through dialogue and sharing under the framework of building a global community of shared future, enabling the world to address current and future challenges and risks.
▲Mhd. Hasanein Khaddam delivering a speech
Mhd. Hasanein Khaddam shared his own experience as a witness to the birth and development of the BRI. He said he believes that the initiative, the vision of building a global community of shared future, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative stem from the core of the ancient Chinese philosophy of harmony between man and man, and between man and nature. He added that the main paradigms of these initiatives are mutual benefit, mutual learning, non-interference in others’ internal affairs, respect for territorial integrity and cultural heritage, which are all principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Meanwhile, other paradigms present a total shift from the tradition followed for about six centuries based on power and might. He noted that the initiative bridges the huge knowledge gap in technologies between developing countries and developed ones.
▲Marco V. Balarezo delivering a speech
Marco V. Balarezo affirmed the BRI’s influence on the world. He noted that it was created as a blueprint of cooperation to enhance policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity around the world, adding that perhaps today it is the main global platform of cooperation among different civilizations and indeed an international public good. He also said Peru and China are old friends that share pragmatic and comprehensive bilateral relations based on mutual trust, win-win cooperation and people-to-people bonds. He said he believes that the multiple language editions of The Belt and Road Initiative allows millions of people around the world to read the main BRI concepts and achievements.
▲Jasem Ibrahem Al-Najem delivering a speech
Jasem Ibrahem Al-Najem congratulated the publication of the multiple language editions of The Belt and Road Initiative. He said that Kuwait shares a long history of friendship with China. It is the first country in the Middle East to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China and is among the founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. China’s BRI has played an important role in boosting common peace and development among neighboring countries. In the past decade, relations between Kuwait and China witnessed further progress with closer interaction between the leadership of the two countries and more project investment by Chinese companies in Kuwait. The cultural exchanges between the two countries have been advanced, while bilateral trade has reached a new high. He expressed hope of furthering the close relations and cooperation between Kuwait and China.
▲Muhammad Asif Noor delivering a speech
Muhammad Asif Noor emphasized the significance of the BRI and the positive influence of the friendly cooperation between China and Pakistan. He said that the BRI has been warmly embraced by the international community as both a public good and a platform for collaboration, while it has delivered tangible and profound results. He noted that the BRI has etched itself into the infrastructure, trade networks and cultural exchanges that span the globe, while the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, often regarded as the BRI’s flagship project, has not only made the movement of goods and people more efficient, but also connected Pakistan to regional and international trade routes, making it a key player in global commerce. “These developments have ushered in a new era of prosperity for Pakistan, improving the livelihoods of its citizens and offering a brighter future,” he said.
▲ Wang Wen delivering a speech
Wang Wen emphasized the importance of the BRI in reshaping China and the world. He noted that the BRI transformed the worldview of the Chinese people and the Chinese economy by boosting the connection between China and more countries, reducing the trade costs among peoples, regions and countries, and becoming increasingly important and needed. He added that the BRI helps developing countries rethink their development paths, explores new ways for countries from near and far to achieve common development, and opens up a “path of happiness” that benefits the whole world.
▲David Ferguson delivering a speech
David Ferguson noted in his speech, “You cannot vote for prosperity. The only way to achieve prosperity is to work for prosperity. The first key to opening the door to prosperity is infrastructure.” He said he believes that infrastructure connectivity is the first connectivity pillar of the BRI and that President Xi has a very clear understanding of this, which can be found in his book. He emphasized that BRI successes give the lie to a systematic and relentless smear campaign against it by people and organizations in the West.
▲ Gao Anming hosting the ceremony
Chinese and international guests unveiled the new books, which were presented to international guests.
▲ Unveiling ceremony
▲Book presentation