Experts underline impact of Belt and Road Initiative

China, a strong advocate and practitioner of multilateralism, has offered fresh solutions to global issues, serving as an example amid growing calls to enhance international collaboration, said participants at an international forum early this week.

Sean Cleary, executive vice-chair of the FutureWorld Foundation, stressed the crucial role of international cooperation in promoting development, security and prosperity in our increasingly interconnected world.

"What China has put on the table in the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative is a vision of how a system of multilateral or global governance ought to function to create a shared future for humankind," he told the reporters.

Cleary, along with other 130 prominent political figures from more than 40 countries, officials of international organizations, foreign diplomats based in China and scholars, attended the 2023 Imperial Springs International Forum in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The forum took place from Sunday to Tuesday.

Zheng Yongnian, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), said the Belt and Road Initiative is a remarkable example of China's contribution to the world. He believed the BRI is the best international public good that China provides to the world, as it drives and promotes the joint development of countries and regions involved.

Meanwhile, China, as the world's second-largest economy, has played a crucial role in facilitating global communication and built platforms for different countries to conduct business, which could also be regarded as China's contribution to the world, Zheng said.

In the view of Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former president of Latvia, China is actively creating a fair and competitive environment and China's BRI aims to achieve win-win cooperation.

She said that Latvia is expected to further expand cooperation with China and become a transit center of the BRI, which helps connect Asia and Europe, in the following years.

Vladimir Norov, former secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and former minister of foreign affairs of Uzbekistan, highlighted the potential for mutually beneficial cooperation that can be fostered through mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual understanding.

He said that a majority of the countries in the world are very willing to participate in the BRI, noting that the relationship between China and Uzbekistan could be shown as an example of a modern, mutually beneficial, mutually respected partnership between countries.

Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria, emphasized that in order to effectively address the challenges at hand, increased cooperation is the key.

He said he firmly believed that by working together, countries can not only achieve economic recovery, but also foster economic growth that benefits all. Furthermore, he called for a global cooperation framework that ensures no country is left behind.

Li Cheng, a professor of political science at the University of Hong Kong, stressed the increasing need for international cooperation in addressing pressing global issues such as climate change, counterterrorism, anti-drug efforts, immigration, nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence and others.

This need is particularly critical as the world stands at a crossroads of development, influenced by the challenges of anti-globalization and pansecurity in the West, according to Li.

The 2023 Imperial Springs Statement, released on Tuesday, proposes that the international community should work hand in hand to address various global risks and challenges, and together create a better future for the world.