China : Third Belt And Road Forum Opens Today

China will from today play host to the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for international cooperation. The Forum from October 17 - 18, 2023 will take place in the town of Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend today’s opening ceremony of the Forum and deliver a keynote speech at the Forum which is being held under the theme, “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. He will also “hold a welcome banquet for foreign leaders and heads of international organizations attending the forum”, she added. 
The Forum is the first high-level BRI Forum to be held since 2019. Representatives from 130 nations and 30 international organizations are expected to attend the forum which will include three high-level forums on connectivity, green development, and digital economy, as well as six seminars. The conference marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) championed by President Xi Jinping. The BRI is a global infrastructure development strategy China launched a decade ago to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through land and maritime routes. Ten years after the launching of the multi-trillion-dollar transnational Belt and Road Initiat...