The Path to the World, the Road to the Future - On the Anniversary of President Xi Jinping's Keynote Speech on Jointly Promoting the Construction of the Belt and Road

　　Xinhua, Beijing, May 13 -- Special report: "The Path" to the World, Leading to the Future -- Marking the First Anniversary of President Xi Jinping's Keynote Speech "Jointly Promoting the Construction of the Belt and Road"

　　Xinhua reporter Du Jing

　　In March this year, in Sydney, Australia, more than 300 Australian political and business leaders gathered to discuss how to seize the great business opportunities brought about by the first China International Import Expo. This global first national-level expo with import as its theme is attracting the world's attention.

　　This major project is one of a series of measures announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation a year ago. Over the past year, the "international train" of Belt and Road cooperation has further gathered momentum, accelerating forward, carrying all parties towards a future of happiness, peace, harmony and prosperity.

　　Gathering drops into streams -- Global consensus continuously accumulates

　　"A Chinese-style ink painting" -- Jiang Xiheng, a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford, once described the Belt and Road Initiative in this way.

　　She said, just as Westerners accustomed to oil paintings initially fail to understand the blank space in Chinese ink paintings, they eventually learn to appreciate its layout and meaning. Some countries once lacked understanding and harbored doubts about China's Belt and Road Initiative, but as construction progresses, consensus continues to grow.

　　"Having a profound world impact" -- British Prime Minister Theresa May viewed the Belt and Road Initiative in this way during her visit to China in February this year.

　　"An important contribution China has made to regional prosperity" -- Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's evaluation of the Belt and Road Initiative at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.

　　This initiative, originating from China and belonging to the world, is being increasingly recognized and accepted by more and more countries.

　　Building the Belt and Road Initiative into a path of peace, prosperity, openness, innovation, and civilization. This was the clear goal and vision put forth by President Xi Jinping in his speech a year ago.

　　From the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, from the APEC meeting in Da Nang to the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, over the past year, President Xi Jinping has repeatedly expounded on the Belt and Road Initiative at various major international events, allowing the world to gain a greater understanding and recognition of this century-long project that benefits numerous people.

　　It is thanks to this guidance that the Belt and Road Initiative, initiated by China and spanning across continents, is becoming increasingly clear, vivid, and rich. The construction plans and projects of the Belt and Road Initiative are steadily advancing, and international cooperation is continuously yielding fruits.

　　"The Belt and Road Initiative may become the largest and most important economic development project in human history. It will promote commerce and contribute to human well-being in unprecedented ways." This is the outlook of Colin Graham, chairman of Asia House, UK.

　　Mutual response -- More and more international partners

　　The ancient Silk Road stretched for thousands of miles, and the Belt and Road Initiative has no end. This initiative, primarily focused on the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa, is now embracing the whole world.

　　Located in Central America, Panama, after establishing diplomatic relations with China in June last year, quickly joined the Belt and Road construction, becoming the first Latin American country to sign a memorandum on Belt and Road construction with China.

　　Panama's Ambassador to China, Shi Kefang, recently said in an interview with Xinhua reporters: "The Belt and Road Initiative connects the world, and Panama hopes to be a key point in the Belt and Road Initiative."

　　A year ago, President Xi Jinping made a solemn commitment in his speech: "Whether from Asia, Europe, Africa, or the Americas, they are all partners in international cooperation in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. The construction of the Belt and Road Initiative will be decided by everyone together, and the fruits of the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative will be shared by everyone together."

　　It is precisely this equality, openness, and inclusiveness that has led to the continuous expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative's circle of friends, with more and more countries, international organizations, and enterprises casting "votes of trust" and "votes of support" for the Belt and Road Initiative.

　　To date, more than 80 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China on jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative; important resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Security Council have incorporated the content of the Belt and Road Initiative construction; Uzbekistan has incorporated the Belt and Road Initiative into its diplomatic decrees...

　　The global business community has also viewed the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity not to be missed. In March this year, Siemens, a German industrial giant, announced the establishment of its global Belt and Road office in Beijing, and has already cooperated with more than 100 Chinese companies to explore markets in countries along the Belt and Road.

　　Honeywell, a US high-tech manufacturing company, HSBC, and Rio Tinto, an Australian mining giant... In a report by the Consumer News and Business Channel, executives from multiple multinational companies said that the Belt and Road Initiative represents a rare opportunity, especially in infrastructure, creating a large number of new business opportunities.

　　Bloomberg News said that the Belt and Road Initiative has become a "truly global solution."

　　Solid progress -- The magnificent picture is more colorful

　　Everywhere are grayish coal cinder brick houses, surrounded by cliffs, deserts, and seas, like a corner forgotten by the world. Gwadar, Pakistan, was once a remote and quiet small fishing port in South Asia, where the vibrant pulse of the world economy was hard to find. Now, a brand-new container terminal, hotels under construction, and highways and railways connecting distant places are visible, a scene of bustling urban construction.

　　This is what a reporter from The Atlantic Monthly saw in Gwadar Port. This change originates from the Belt and Road construction. As a landmark project of China-Pakistan Belt and Road cooperation, since Chinese companies took charge of the construction and operation of Gwadar Port, its development has accelerated, illuminating the dreams of the local people.

　　Recently, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters, Pakistan's Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said: "The China-Pakistan economic and trade cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has brought positive changes to the lives of millions of Pakistanis."

　　Great undertakings require great practice. From developing friendly cooperation to reaching pragmatic agreements, from increasing funding support to strengthening innovative cooperation, a series of pragmatic measures proposed by President Xi Jinping in his keynote speech has declared to the world that China is the initiator of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, and is also a responsible and committed practitioner.

　　In the past year, from the official opening of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway in Kenya, built by Chinese companies, to the first production line of the China-Russia Yamal LNG project; from the "Ice Silk Road" and "Digital Silk Road" to the China-Laos Economic Corridor and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor... The international cooperation in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative is ushering in a new climax.

　　As observed by Forbes magazine, "In government and corporate boardrooms around the world, on the ground at logistics hubs, and in newly established economic zones across dozens of countries, the Belt and Road Initiative is happening in a very real way."

　　The Belt and Road Initiative is steadily advancing and achieving results step by step. The Belt and Road Initiative carries the dreams of development and prosperity for various countries, leading to a brighter future.