Xi Jinping and B&R Initiative
Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road in 2013.
The Belt and Road Initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes.
China has invested more than US$50 billion in the Belt and Road countries since the initiative was proposed.
The initiative has achieved a great number of early harvest results and won support from more than 100 countries and international organizations, with nearly 50 cooperation agreements signed between governments.
In the spirit of regional connectivity, China is working in aviation, power, rail, road and telecommunications projects with participating countries.
The initiative has not only boosted trade and investment between China and economies along the routes, but offered a solution to global economic difficulties.
China’s trade volume with the Belt and Road countries reached 6.3 trillion yuan (US$917 billion) in 2016, up 0.6 percent from 2015, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
By the end of 2016, Chinese companies had helped build 56 economic and trade cooperation zones in 20 countries along the routes with a combined investment surpassing US$18.55 billion, generating US$1.07 billion in tax revenue and 17,700 jobs in those countries.
A total of 1,082 enterprises have settled down in these cooperation zones, with combined output value of US$50.69 billion.
2017
Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a panel discussion with deputies to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) from Shanghai Municipality at the annual session of the NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)
Mar. 5, 2017--President Xi Jinping urged Shanghai, a pioneer in reform and opening up, to do more in deepening free trade zone (FTZ) reforms and turn the FTZ into a zone of openness and innovation to serve the Belt and Road Initiative and help the country's businesses expand overseas during a panel discussion with deputies to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) from Shanghai Municipality at the annual session of the NPC.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 22, 2017. (Photo: Xinhua/Yao Dawei)
Feb. 22, 2017--President Xi Jinping said China welcomes France's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and supports companies of both countries to cooperate in this framework.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) meets with Peter Thomson (L), president of the 71st session of United Nations General Assembly, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)
Jan.18,2017--President Xi Jinping said the reason that China launched the Belt and Road Initiative is to share development opportunities and results with other countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)
Jan. 18,2017--President Xi Jinping said China welcomes the WHO's active participation in the construction of the Belt and Road, and of a 'healthy' Silk Road. China and the WHO pledged to step up health cooperation under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. A memorandum of understanding in this regard was signed between the two sides.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
Jan.18, 2017--President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva and called for building a community of shared future for mankind and achieving shared and win-win development amid growing challenges and risks.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)
Jan. 17, 2017--President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, making a strong case for advancing globalization and rejecting protectionism. He also announced China's plans to host a Belt and Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing this May to brainstorm on interconnected development as part of China's efforts to make globalization more inclusive and beneficial to all.
2016
Screenshot of Chinese President Xi Jinping delivering a keynote speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Lima, capital of Peru on Nov. 19, 2016. (Xinhua Photo)
Nov. 19,2016--President Xi Jinping said the Belt and Road Initiative, with inter-connectivity as main focus, has gained active participation and support from over 100 countries and international organizations in his keynote speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Lima.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Lima, Peru, Nov. 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
Nov. 19, 2016--President Xi Jinping called for joint efforts by China and Russia to enhance synergy of their national development strategies, and further integrate the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) when meeting his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)
Nov. 3, 2016--President Xi Jinping said China welcomes Malaysia's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, and is ready to work with the country to increase cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, energy, technology, agriculture and finance.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in the western Indian state of Goa, Oct. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)
Oct. 16, 2016--President Xi Jinping vowed to deepen bilateral pragmatic cooperation within the Belt and Road framework during his meeting with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.
Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the opening ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)
Jan.16, 2016--China and Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran agree to expand cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a China-initiated multilateral bank, starts operation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with his Bangladeshi counterpart Abdul Hamid in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Oct. 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Oct. 14, 2016--President Xi Jinping said the Belt and Road Initiative provides new opportunities for win-win cooperation between China and Bangladesh in his signed article carried by a Bangladeshi newspaper.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the Business 20 (B20) summit in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)
Sep. 3, 2016--President Xi Jinping said during the Business 20 (B20) summit that the Belt and Road Initiative is to share China's development opportunities with countries along the route and achieve common prosperity.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech during a symposium on the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 17, 2016. Xi called for steady advance of the country's Belt and Road Initiative to benefit people along the routes. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)
Aug. 17, 2016--President Xi Jinping attended a symposium on the Belt and Road Initiative, calling for the steady advance of the initiative to benefit people along the routes.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the Legislative Chamber of the Uzbek Supreme Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, June 22, 2016. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)
June 22, 2016--President Xi Jinping delivered a speech titled "Jointly Compose a New and Splendid Chapter of the Silk Road" at the Legislative Chamber of the Supreme Assembly of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.
Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the opening ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)
Jan.16, 2016--China and Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran agree to expand cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a China-initiated multilateral bank, starts operation.
2015
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) accompanies Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Da Ci'en Temple after their meeting in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 14, 2015. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)
May 14, 2015--President Xi Jinping met with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Xi'an, and said China and India could strengthen communication on the Belt and Road Initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and Modi's "Act East" policy, find areas of common interest, and hone a mode of cooperation with reciprocal benefit.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin hold talks in Moscow, capital of Russia, May 8, 2015. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)
May 8, 2015--China and Russia agreed in Moscow to integrate the former's Silk Road Economic Belt with the latter's vision of a trade and infrastructure network across Eurasia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference on Mar. 28, 2015. (Photo/Xinhua)
Mar. 28, 2015 -- In his keynote speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, President Xi Jinping said the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative followed the principles of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (C rear) presides over a meeting focused on the Belt and Road Initiative, or the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2015. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
Feb. 1, 2015--Chinese leaders sketched out priorities for the Belt and Road Initiative, highlighting transport infrastructure building, investment and trade facilitation, financial cooperation and cultural exchange.
2014
Chinese President Xi Jinping presides over a Dialogue on Strengthening Connectivity Partnership in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 8, 2014. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)
Nov. 8, 2014--President Xi Jinping announced at a dialogue meeting that China would contribute US$40 billion to set up the Silk Road Fund. He proposed five suggestions on the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev attend a remote inauguration of a joint logistics terminal project in east China's Lianyungang City after their talks in Shanghai, east China, May 19, 2014. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)
May 19, 2014--The logistics terminal jointly built by China and Kazakhstan went into operation in the port of Lianyungang in east China. It was the first tangible platform under the framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt.
2013
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks at the Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing, capital of China. The conference is held in Beijing from Dec. 10 to 13, 2013. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
December 2013--President Xi Jinping called for strengthening infrastructure connectivity in the process of implementing the Belt and Road Initiative and building a community of common interests at the annual Central Economic Work Conference.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, addresses the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 12, 2013. The session lasted from Nov. 9 to 12. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)
November 2013--The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China calls for accelerating infrastructure links among neighboring countries and facilitating the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech to Indonesian lawmakers at the House of Representatives of Indonesia in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Oct. 3, 2013. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)
Oct. 3, 2013--President Xi Jinping proposed building the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road in his speech at the Indonesian parliament.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, Sept. 7, 2013. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)
Sep. 7, 2013--President Xi Jinping proposed building the Silk Road Economic Belt in his speech delivered at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan.