Zhengzhou, Henan, October 21, 2023 (TDI): The Third Silk Road Civil Society Organization Cooperation Network Forum commenced with great enthusiasm and international acclaim in Zhengzhou, Henan, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing dialogue and cooperation along the historic Silk Road.
The event featured prominent figures, including former Chilean President Frei, former Egyptian Prime Minister Sharaf, and former Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Sugata Koirala.
Representatives from various countries, including individuals from civil organizations, businesses, think tanks, and universities, totaling approximately 400 participants, joined the event through a hybrid online and offline approach.
This event featured an opening ceremony and the launch of the Cultural Lecture Hall, with a central focus on the theme, “A Decade of Splendor, Setting Out Together to Create a New Silk Road Future.” The forum aimed to deepen national civil exchange and cooperation, bringing together prominent figures and leaders.
Distinguished attendees at the opening ceremony included Ji Bingxuan, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People’s Congress and President of the China International Exchange Association, Guo Yezhou, Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department, Wang Zhanying, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, and Li Yach, Secretary of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People’s Congress.
Participants at this event highly praised the keynote speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum, where they commended the significant achievements of the Belt and Road initiative over the past decade.
They believed the Belt and Road initiative brings stability and positive energy to a world undergoing significant transformations and turmoil.
Attendees unanimously acknowledged the importance of fostering people-to-people connections.
Participants expressed their willingness to continue supporting and participating in developing the Silk Road Civil Society Organization Cooperation Network, with a common goal of strengthening mutual friendship among the people, promoting cross-border understanding, and collectively achieving new milestones in developing the Belt and Road initiative.
During the event, Ji Bingxuan emphasized the importance of placing people at the center, strengthening responsibility, enhancing mutual exchange, and striking a balance between tradition and innovation.
He stressed the collective goal of improving the well-being of the people, paving the path to happiness, narrating the story of the Silk Road, and constructing a better world.
Ji Bingxuan called for the continual strengthening of national civil exchange and cooperation, consolidating the social consensus for the “Belt and Road” initiative, and making substantial contributions to the establishment of a community of shared human destiny.
Wang Zhanying, in his remarks, highlighted that Henan would seize this opportunity to intensify its openness, promote innovation, and facilitate the integration of the “Four Silk Roads.”
The province is also committed to enhancing cultural and civilization exchanges, promoting and preserving Chinese traditional culture, engaging in the “Belt and Road” initiative with high quality, and fostering a new comprehensive open pattern.
The forum, organized by the China International Exchange Promotion Association of Civil Society Organizations, included activities such as the Cooperation Network Guidance Committee meeting and an international civil poverty reduction cooperation network seminar.
Approximately 400 representatives from civil organizations, businesses, think tanks, and universities hailing from over 30 countries participated through a combination of online and offline methods.
This forum was organized by the China International Exchange Promotion Association of Civil Society Organizations, and it included additional activities such as the International Steering Committee Meeting of the Silk Road Civil Society Organization Cooperation Network, an international seminar on civil poverty reduction cooperation, and the Cultural Lecture Hall.
