On the afternoon of April 25th , jointly hosted by CPAFFC and Beijing Municipal People’s Government, the Thematic Forum on Subnational Cooperation of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was successfully held at China National Convention Center in Beijing.
The Forum centers on “Deepening Sub-national Cooperation and Sharing Development Benefits”. More than 300 delegates from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao,and over 40 countries covering five continents attended the Forum. There were state governors, mayors and their representatives, representatives of numerous international organizations, entrepreneurs, experts, scholars, etc. Madame Li Xiaolin, President of CPAFFC and CIFCA, Mr. Chen Jining, Mayor of Beijing, Madame Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr. Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune, Secretary of CPC Committee and Governor of Vientiane of Lao PDR, Mr. Christian Wulff, Former President of Germany attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches respectively.
During the meeting, representatives from various countries shared their experience and achievements in Belt and Road local exchanges and discussed future cooperation prospects and opportunities. In their speeches, all governors highly recognized the positive influences of “the Belt and Road Initiative” on local cooperation among countries. They also expressed their expectation to further enhance exchanges at local and regional level under BRI framework, by actively participating in Belt and Road cooperation, promote local economic and social development and improve people’s wellbeing. Meanwhile, together with local governments of all countries and guided by the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, they hope to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, continue to develop friendship city relations in an active, pragmatic and gradual manner, and jointly promote Belt and Road construction.
14 local cooperation agreements between China and foreign countries were signed during the forum, involving many aspects such as establishment of friendship city relations, people-to-people exchanges, economic and trade cooperation. These fruitful results have conveyed a positive signal from all parties to deepen local cooperation and work together to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Photographed by Liu Yan
