Honorable Vice-Chairman Zheng Wantong,distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon!

It is with great pleasure to attend today’s roundtable. The Vice-Chairman He Lifeng of the NDRC had planned to be present at this roundtable, but due to an emergent meeting convened by the central government, he had to be absent but he has sent his congratulations to the opening of this roundtable.

This year marks the third year of the initiation of the Belt and Road initiative by President Xi. This initiative focuses on the theme of peaceful development and win-win cooperation and it has its main content which includes policy communication, infrastructure connectivity on impending trade, capital flows, and people to people exchange. Its principles include wide consultations, joint contribution and shared benefits. It aimed at building a community of shared interests, common future and responsibility, together with countries along the route featuring apolitical mutual trust, economic integration and cultural inclusion.

After the international financial crisis broke out, the original growth pattern of the world economy was affected. However a new driver in the patterns for growth emerged. Therefore it has become a common understanding of all countries to strengthen international coordination and policy cooperation so as to jointly address these challenges and therefore we believe that Belt and Road cooperation and better connectivity, international productivity cooperation and equipment manufacturing will help improve effective supply and generate new demand and help rebalance the world economy. The Belt and Road is a China plan for a world economic recovery and a common prosperity. And it offers China’s wisdom for mutual learning for different civilizations.

Over the past three years, we have seen so many initial progress in Belt and Road initiative. Over one hundred countries and international organizations have expressed their active willingness to participate. Last months for the first time, a UN General Assembly resolution included the Belt and Road initiative which reflected the international support to this initiative.

Now China has signed over forty MOUs on jointly building the Belt and Road with relevant countries and international organizations. Now we are formulating and implementing guidelines of economic corridor among China, Mongolia, and Russia as well as a plan for cooperation between China and the Czech Republic. These plans have been signed and witnessed by the heads of states of these countries. We have started the regular international production capacity cooperation with over twenty countries involving over ten key areas including iron, steel manufacturing, automobile and electronics. A number of line projects are making progress. For example, major progress were made in China Pakistan Economic Corridor as well as the high speed railway between Jakarta and Bangdung, between China, the railway between China and Laos PDR, the oil pipeline between China and Russia and between China and the central Asia and the development of Piraeus port of Greece. The industrial parks developed between China and other countries including Belarussia and Thailand as well as other fifty-two regions have become an important model for Chinese companies to go global. We’re also cooperating with financial institutions including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund. We're also expanding the use of RMB and we’re also making progress on people to people cultural exchanges.

Now nearly half of the overseas students studying in China are from Belt and Road countries. And we’re already starting the application for world heritage for the Maritime Silk Road. Ladies and gentlemen, companies are main players for economic activities and in recent years, Chinese companies are vigorously increasing their investments to countries along the Belt and Road. In 2015, Chinese companies invested as many as $14.8 billion US dollars to 49 countries along the Belt and Road route, upby 18.2 % and these countries invested to China $8.4 billion US dollars, up by 23%. More and more Chinese companies are seizing opportunities and improving their capability to fight against risks and better allocate resources. For example, Huawei Company has already seen its business covering all parts of the world including the Antarctic and Arctic Region. It has its products sold toover 140 countries and its corporate spirit has been confirmed and recognized by a growing number of countries. Alibaba Group has been integrating the internet business with the traditional business and they are profoundly changing the ways of living and production by people. And China Communications Corporation is deeply involved in regional economic development. They are improving hard connectivity through building bridges. At the same time, they are also promoting soft connectivity between the heart and mind of the Chinese people and people of other countries by better shouldering social responsibilities. There are more such examples and we have the reason to believe that with further progress made in the Belt and Road initiative, we will see new platforms offered to domestic as well as foreign multinational companies and these companies will surely see greater space of development.

Let me share with you a few proposals, first, we need to seize development opportunities and explore both the Chinese and overseas market. The Belt and Road covers many regions and it has huge market. Chinese and foreign multinational companies need to work together to form synergy between the abundant resources of countries along the Belt route, human resources with China’s advance productivity as well as the advanced technology and experience of developed countries. Now China has already started a system based on previous established national treatment and inactive list approach in particular starting from 8th of October after the provisional approach on the registration and firing for foreign invested countries in China has started. It has offered a better environment for the development of businesses. I’m the DG for Western China Development in the National development and reform commission, so let me speak about China’s western region. It used to be quite backward and underdeveloped but now it is at the forefront for China’s openness. I hope all of you will fully appreciate enormous potential of western China and be actively involved in the accelerated development of China’s western provinces. My second proposal is that we hope we can build high quality flagship projects and project a good image for Chinese enterprises. I hope the Chinese enterprises will pursue their development in the context of overall national development strategies. I hope they will enhance their core competitiveness, work in a pioneering spirit, and achieve new success as part of the Belt and Road initiative. 

I wish to emphasis that the image of enterprises is closely related to the country from which they come. So the Chinese enterprises that areoperating in other countries must not only pay attention to economic returns,they must also take their social responsibility very seriously and work hard touphold the image of China. They must work in concert and ensure the highquality of their projects. They must obey the laws and customs of the hostcountry, conduct business in the standard way, try to create more jobs for thelocal community, and project a good image of Chinese enterprises, thus winningmore support and trust from the international community in China’s Belt andRoad initiative and Chinese enterprises. The third proposal is to fostersynergy in building the Belt and Road, taking advantage of the strengths ofdifferent parties. For a long time UNDP, UNCTAD, UNEP, UNIDO, UN Global Contactand other international organizations have played important roles in providingtechnical assistance, promoting global trade, investment of financialcooperation, advancing industrialization process in developing countries,ensuring their sustainable development, and creating extensive and equitable global markets. The council for the promoting of multinational corporations inChina together with foreign Chamber of Commerce in China have acted as usefulbridges between government and business and promoting interactions between enterprises. I hope all of the entities I’ve mentioned here can combine theirstrengths, acting synergy, and ensure the success of the Belt and Roadinitiative. Ladies and Gentlemen this is the first year for the implementation of China’s 35 year plan. The next 5 year are crucial to China’s realization of its first Centenary goal of ushering in a moderately prosperous society and thenext 5 years are also crucial for implementing the Belt and Road initiative. Ihope the international organizations, Chambers of Commerce, businessassociations, and multinational cooperation will seize the opportunities beforeyou, work in closer collaboration and derive benefits from progress in the Belt and Road initiative.

Finally I wish this roundtable a great success. 

Thank you.