Belt and Road countries to make sustainable achievements that benefit their posterity

Photo shows a section of the Belgrade-Budapest railway in Hungary built by Chinese companies. [Photo/Bai Jie]

All countries involved in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation are equal participants, contributors and beneficiaries.

When addressing the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China will work with all parties involved to deepen Belt and Road partnerships of cooperation and usher this cooperation into a new stage of high-quality development. What he said has been widely responded and supported.

In the world today, which is undergoing transformation and turmoil, and changes unseen in a century, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) upholds the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, advocates for extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and has fostered broad Belt and Road partnerships of cooperation.

Over the past decade, more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations have joined the BRI and signed more than 230 cooperation documents. The third BRF was attended by representatives from 151 countries and 41 international organizations, which once again highlighted the theme of win-win cooperation and common development.

The BRI has entered a new phase of high-quality development, and cooperation partnerships need to be continuously deepened to generate greater collaborative efforts. China aims to form with relevant parties closer partnerships in health, connectivity, green development, opening up, inclusiveness, innovation and clean government, and inject a constant stream of momentum into the high-quality development of the BRI.

Workers assemble appliances at a refrigerator factory of Chinese home appliance giant Hisense Group in Valjevo, Serbia. [People's Daily/Liu Zhonghua]

Continuously deepening Belt and Road partnerships of cooperation helps foster greater consensus for cooperation. As the world enters a new phase of instability and transformation, global challenges continuously emerge. What the world needs the most is cooperation.

As Xi said, win-win cooperation is the sure way to success in launching major initiatives that benefit all. Countries should all treat each other as friends and partners, respect and support each other, and help each other succeed. As the saying goes, when you give roses to others, their fragrance lingers on your hand. In other words, helping others is also helping oneself. Viewing others' development as a threat or taking economic interdependence as a risk will not make one's own life better or speed up one's development.

The BRI not only brings tangible and substantial achievements, but also fosters a profound understanding that win-win cooperation is the sure way to success in launching major initiatives that benefit all. This understanding is sowing more seeds of cooperation worldwide, continuously deepening Belt and Road partnerships of cooperation.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric said the BRI draws wisdom from Chinese traditional culture that has a history of more than 5,000 years, and is based on the principles of equality and mutual respect. It has become an important platform for mutually beneficial cooperation and an important opportunity for countries around the world to achieve common development. Chile highly values and will continue to actively participate in the cooperation.

Continuously deepening Belt and Road partnerships of cooperation helps foster stronger momentum for development. The BRI transcends differences between civilizations, cultures, social systems, and stages of development. It has opened up a new path for exchanges among countries, and established a new framework for international cooperation. Indeed, the BRI represents humanity's joint pursuit of development for all.

The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway is a signature project of China-Kenya Belt and Road cooperation. Photo shows Kenyan students taking a train on the railway. [People's Daily/Zhang Zhiwen]

The original intention of Belt and Road cooperation is to achieve common development. At a critical moment when the implementation of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is hindered and the North-South divide continues to widen, the Belt and Road partnerships of cooperation continue to promote connectivity, mutual benefit, common development, cooperation and win-win outcomes. This will help foster a development paradigm featuring benefits for all, balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation and common prosperity, and assist more countries in achieving sustainable development goals.

"With the contributions of the BRI, we can turn the infrastructure emergency into an infrastructure opportunity, supercharge the implementation of the sustainable development goals, and deliver hope and progress for billions of people and the planet we share," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The third BRF has further consolidated the consensus on Belt and Road cooperation, further enriched Belt and Road cooperation, and broadened the bright prospects of Belt and Road cooperation. It marked another important milestone in the process of Belt and Road cooperation.

The historical trend of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit is unstoppable, our people's aspiration for a better life remains strong as ever, and the desire of all countries to achieve common development and prosperity is overwhelming.

As long as Belt and Road countries remain steadfast in their commitment to cooperation and common development, and continuously deepen Belt and Road partnerships of cooperation, they will make sustainable achievements that benefit their posterity.