B&R Dialogue Held in Nanjing

The 2021 Media, Think Tank, and Youth Dialogue Between Belt and Road Countries, which was held in Nanjing, capital of eastern China’s Jiangsu Province on October 25, 2021, gathered more than 50 guests including media representatives, think tank experts and scholars, and youth representatives of the Belt and Road countries to conduct extensive and in-depth discussions under the theme “Work Together to Get Through Tough Time and Create a Bright Future for All.”

“Media organizations, think tanks, and youth will become more important players in promoting a closer Belt and Road partnership,” said Lu Cairong, vice president of China International Communications Group (CICG), in his opening remarks at the event. He presented three proposals: First, all parties should work to clarify misunderstandings and unite minds, guide public opinion, and help enhance mutual learning and mutual trust. Second, all parties should seek interconnectivity based on openness and inclusiveness and create platforms for cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Third, young people from various countries and regions should preserve history and rise to the expectations of the times. They should learn from each other and enhance friendships.

Over the past eight years since the inception of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Nanjing and other Belt and Road cities have witnessed expanded policy coordination, strengthened connectivity of infrastructure, booming economic, trade, and investment cooperation, and closer people-to-people ties, said Chen Yong, member of the Standing Committee and director of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Nanjing Municipal Committee. “Looking ahead, Nanjing will deepen exchange and cooperation among the media, think tanks, and youth, build closer people-to-people bonds, and create a driving force for common development with other Belt and Road cities.”

International collaboration under the BRI framework has provided the international community with a new way to build a community of shared future that transcends differences in ideologies, social systems, geopolitical interests, and development levels. Infrastructure construction and connectivity, production capacity transfer, livelihood projects, the digital economy, and payment processing innovation are and will continue to be the highlights of BRI cooperation, said Yu Hongjun, former vice minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and former Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan.

Galina Kulikova, first vice chairman of the Russia-China Friendship Association and laureate of China’s Friendship Medal, said China’s BRI has been well-received by many countries including Russia. Russia’s development requires a stable and prosperous China, and vice versa. The Russia-China Friendship Association will continue to promote friendly exchange between the two countries, she added.

Joint construction of the Belt and Road reflects the common aspirations for peace and development of all countries, especially developing countries. It demonstrates a sense of a community of shared future and offers new solutions to the reform of the global governance system, said Wang Linggui, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Vladimir Potapenko, former deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said that the construction of BRI projects demands skilled professionals and that young people represent an important force to turn the BRI from a vision into reality. International organizations, governments, small and medium enterprises, and scientific research institutes are also key players in BRI construction.

Countries should work together on infrastructure and global governance and embrace the digital economy to rise out of the pandemic, said Wang Huiyao, director-general of the Center for China and Globalization.

Participants also explored how to break new ground in global governance and cultural exchange. This discussion featured Li Shaoxian, director of the China-Arab Research Institute at Ningxia University, Harvey Dzodin, former vice president of the ABC Television Network in the United States, Kyu Hyun Yang, CEO of Aju Daily in South Korea, Zhai Kun, vice dean of the Institute of Area Studies and professor of the School of International Relations at Peking University, Sadyk Akizhanov, adviser and press secretary of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Sanzhar Valiev, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, Shchepinin Vitaly, executive director of Russian Cultural Center in Beijing, Marta Tomczak, head of the Oriental Library at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw, Poland, Khu Fenlan, president of SCOLAR Network, Ma Xiaolin, director of the Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean Rim at Zhejiang International Studies University, Shavkat Alimbekov, research fellow at the Development Strategy Center of Uzbekistan, Song Ping, director of China Watch (a think tank powered by China Daily), Abdel-Mohsen Salama, chairman of the Al-Ahram Organization of Egypt, Chu Yin, professor at the University of International Relations in Beijing, Oleg Timofiev, associate professor at the People’s Friendship University of Russia, Gu Yu, director and deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Public Policy Research Institute of Bilibili, Chang Xiang, director of the Thailand-China BRI Cooperation Research Center, and Yang Jie, senior coordinator of the International Affairs at the Asia-Europe Land Bridge and International Train Service Center of China Communications and Transportation Association.

The B&R Policy Barometer Report was jointly released at the event by CICG B&R International Communication Research Institute and Peking University. Sponsored by CICG and the Organizing Committee for Nanjing Peace Forum, the event was organized by CICG Europe-Asia Center (China Pictorial), the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS), Nanjing Municipal People’s Government Information Office, and the B&R International Communication Research Institute. Jiang Yonggang, director of the CICG Europe-Asia Center, Wang Xiaohui, editor-in-chief of China News Service, and Yang Ping, secretary of the Party Committee of ACCWS, hosted different sessions of the event.