Work together for new methods of development along the Silk Road, build a community of shared interests and enjoy common prosperity of Eurasian continent
——Speech at the opening ceremony of the 19th Eurasian Summit

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Work together for new methods of development along the Silk Road, build a community of shared interests and enjoy common prosperity of Eurasian continent
——Speech at the opening ceremony of the 19th Eurasian Summit

YU Hongjun,CPAPD Vice President and Member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the 12th National Committee, CPPCC

(April 6th, Istanbul)

Distinguished Mr. President Suver,

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

From the outset, let me extend, on behalf of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament, my heartfelt thanks to Marmara Foundation for inviting me to attend the 19th Eurasian Summit in the beautiful city of Istanbul.

The theme of the Summit: “Silk Road Economic Belt” bears great historic and immediate relevance. In history, the Silk Road served as an important corridor for trade between the East and the West. China’s silk and porcelains were shipped to the West through this channel, while Western businessmen went along this route with furs, spices and medical herbs to China. Linking Europe with Asia, the ancient Silk Road used to play a huge role in promoting economic and cultural exchanges between the two continents, thus exerting profound influences on the progress of human civilization.

Since the 21st century, the world is witnessing increasingly prominent structural problems in economic, political and social fields, etc. Faced with the slow recovery of world economy, pronounced governance problems in international financing and growing gaps in terms of development among nations, we need to come up with new thinking and new measures to address all forms of problems and challenges. China’s proposal of the “Belt and Road” Initiative is an important attempt to address and resolve this challenge.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visit to Central Asia and Southeast Asia in September and October of 2013, proposed the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (hereinafter referred to as the Belt and Road), which have received positive feedbacks in Asia, Europe and the whole world. Through achieving five major goals of policy coordination, facilities interconnectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bonds, the Initiative to jointly build the Belt and Road is aimed at promoting orderly and free flow of economic factors, highly efficient allocation of resources and deep integration of markets; encouraging the countries along the Belt and Road to achieve economic policy coordination and carry out broader and more in-depth regional cooperation of higher standards; and jointly creating an open, inclusive and balanced regional economic cooperation architecture that benefits all. The Initiative also aims to promote the interconnectivity of Asian, European and African continents and their adjacent seas, establish and strengthen partnerships among the countries along the Belt and Road, set up all-dimensional, multi-tiered and composite connectivity networks, and realize diversified, independent, balanced and sustainable development. With these connectivity networks done, people-to-people and cultural exchanges along the routes, and mutual learning among different civilizations of relevant countries will be enhanced, and will also be able to better understand, trust and respect each other and live in harmony, peace and prosperity.

The purpose of China’s proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative is to reinvigorate the ancient Silk Road through building a new road of development and prosperity by concerted efforts of countries and peoples along the routes.

First, the Belt and Road Initiative is a new platform for win-win cooperation.Though proposed by China, the Belt and Road initiative is by no means China’s solo, but is instead a chorus embracing broad participation of relevant countries along the routes. China advocates the Belt and Road Initiative should be jointly built through common consultation to meet the interests of all; ultimately create an open, inclusive and balanced cooperationarchitecture that benefits all, and instill positive energy of all-win collaboration into the countries along the routes.

Second, the Belt and Road Initiative is a new opportunity for common development. Development is the concerns for all countries and peoples along the Belt and Road. In order to address insufficient development, both internal impetus and external supporting assistance are needed. China will take the joint building Initiative as an opportunity to make schedules and roadmaps together with countries along the Belt and Road. Efforts will be made to integrate the development strategies of relevant countries, explore regional market potential, promote investment and consumption, and create demands and employment. In this way, the Belt and Road Initiative will drive development, communication and integration of countries along the routes, ultimately realize common progress.

Third, the Belt and Road Initiative is a new hope for overcoming the difficulties. At the moment, the global economic recovery remains elusive, many difficulties await economic structural adjustment, and protectionism is on the rise, the external environment for development of countries along the route faces various challenges, the new driving forces of development is in urgent need. Enhancing the building of interconnectivity, and facilitating finance and trade under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative has great significance for world economy to get rid of the plight of uncertainty and instability.

Last but not the least, the Belt and Road Initiative shows a new vision of common prosperity. Last march, the Chinese government published the Vision and Actions on Jointly Building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21stCentury Maritime Silk Road. Besides, China also works together with relevant countries to promote cooperation in trade and investment, and has obtained key achievements in early stage. A series of pragmatic cooperative projects have been launched, which were in real demands and of great influence. Up till now, China has signed with more than 30 countries the agreement of joint building the Belt and Road Initiative, the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank is in operation now, and the first batch of investment projects under the Silk Road Fund have been officially started, provided financial support to infrastructure building, resources exploration and industry cooperation for relevant countries. A network of connectivity marked by China-Pakistan and China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridors gradually come into being, China-Europe Trains connecting the two continents, Hungary-Cyprus railways and Jakarta-Bandon high-speed railways are under construction, China-Laos and China-Thailand railways in Pan-Asia railway network make important steps forward. The cooperation in production capacity between China and countries along the routes has been pushed forward in all dimensions, leading to a large bunch of key projects rooted along the Belt and Road. Building the Belt and Road will effectively promote the economic and social development of relevant countries and bring tangible benefits for the people.

Lying at the crossroad among central Asia, west Asia, Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean, Turkey is a country of great significance not only along the Road and Belt, but also in the international economic corridor. The joint building of the Silk Road Economic Belt between China and Turkey will provide numerous opportunities for the two countries’ common development and win-win cooperation, which in turn serves the benefits of the two peoples. At current stage, the two governments are exploring possibilities to jointly build the high-speed railways that connect Turkey’s East and West, which exhibits the huge space of further bilateral cooperation and future achievements.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

The Belt and Road is a road dedicated to mutual respect and trust, all-win cooperation, and mutual learning among different civilization. If countries along the Belt and Road could make concerted efforts and move in the same direction with a unified goal, we will surely write new chapters on the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative, and enable our people to enjoy new achievements of the Initiative. As the saying goes in Turkey, perseverance will build up the road to sky, and courage will open up the door of wisdom. As long as we take actions together to navigate our undertakings well and move in the same direction, I have every reason to believe that the ancient Silk Road will again shine with new vitality and vigor. Mat we join hands and work together for new methods of development along the routes, build a community of shared interests and enjoy common prosperity of Eurasian continent.

Thank you.