H.E. Dr. Huang Shifang
Consul-General of China in Kota Kinabalu
From October 17 to 18, the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) was successfully held in Beijing, with over 10,000 registered representatives from 151 countries and 41 international organizations attended the event in China. In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the BRF, President Xi Jinping emphasized that the Belt and Road cooperation is on the right side of history, keep pace with the advance of our times, and represents the right path forward. At the same time, he announced eight major steps China will take to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, setting a new direction, opening new vistas and generating new momentum for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI put forward by President Xi Jinping. The past decade has witnessed historic achievements in Belt and Road cooperation. A path of cooperation, opportunity and prosperity that leads to common development has been found. Benefiting over 150 countries, the BRI has become the most popular international public good and largest international cooperation platform in today’s world. The scale of participation of BRF not only once again showcased the tremendous appeal and global influence of Belt and Road cooperation, but also enabled the participating countries and international organizations to take this event as an opportunity to further deepen mutual political trust, enhance connectivity, promote balanced trade development, attract more multilateral development agencies and financial institutions, and create a large pattern of people-to-people exchanges, so as to make the BRI a "road to happiness" that will genuinely benefit all countries and the world.
A Road of Peace for the New Era
More than 2,100 years ago, Zhang Qian, a royal emissary of China’s Han Dynasty, traveled westward and opened an overland route linking the East and the West. In the early 15th century, Zheng He, a famous navigator in the Ming Dynasty, made seven voyages to the Western Seas, six of which stopped in Malacca, and accordingly he also stopped in Sabah twice, a feat that is still remembered today. These pioneers won their place in history not as conquerors with warships, guns or swords. Rather, they are remembered as friendly emissaries leading camel caravans and sailing treasure-laden ships. When the world is in great turbulence and transformation, with greater deficits in governance, trust, development and peace, where should humanity go? There are important choices to be made. Do we choose cooperation or isolation, solidarity or division, going forward together or in our separate ways? The answer provided by the BRI is to uphold multilateralism and build a community with a shared future for mankind, so as to address global challenges and maintain lasting peace together.
A Road of Prosperity for the New Era
Development holds the master key to solving all problems and is a timeless theme for humanity. The BRI, focusing on development which best serves the common interests of all countries, has provided a platform for development with great inclusiveness, and promoted the common development and prosperity of all countries around the world. From 2013 to 2022, the total value of China’s trade in goods with key Belt and Road partner countries grew at an average annual rate of 8.6 percent, and the two-way investment exceeded USD 270 billion. Newly signed contracts of projects are worth over USD 1.2 trillion, and an array of infrastructure projects including roads, bridges and ports have come into commission, further promoting land, maritime, air and cyberspace connectivity. The World Bank estimates that by 2030, Belt and Road cooperation will bring an annual benefit of USD 1.6 trillion to the world, accounting for 1.3 percent of the global GDP and injecting strong impetus into global development.
A Road of Openness for the New Era
The BRI welcomes all countries with open arms, following the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit. The BRI is not ideologically driven, still less with values-related strings attached. It is not created for the sake of power confrontation or forming blocs. In contrast to those “small circles” or “exclusionary groups” pieced together by some countries, Belt and Road cooperation is a big family guided by the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit. As of June this year, more than 150 countries and 30-plus international organizations have signed over 200 Belt and Road cooperation documents with China.
A Road of Green Development for the New Era
For thousands of years, the Chinese civilization has set great store by the idea that humanity must seek harmony with nature. Into the new era, China is committed to the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and has explored to contribute its ideas and experience on green development to the Belt and Road cooperation. As the world’s largest market and equipment manufacturer in the field of clean energy, China has conducted green energy cooperation with more than 100 countries and regions. In Belt and Road partner countries, Chinese investment in green and low-carbon energy has surpassed that in traditional energy. This has promoted greater balance between socioeconomic development and eco-environmental protection, brought more opportunities for green development to participating countries and regions, and delivered green benefits to local communities.
A Road of Innovation for the New Era
In the past decade, Belt and Road cooperation has spurred greater innovation in science and technology. From promoting people-to-people exchanges in science and technology to jointly building laboratories, from enhancing cooperation on science and technology parks to building technology transfer centers, the vision for a community of innovation featuring shared development philosophies, unimpeded flow of production factors, networked technology facilities, connected innovation chains and vibrant people-to-people exchanges is turning into reality. As co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates said, China has an incredible mix of expertise and experience, as well as investment in scientific and technological innovation, and it will be able to make unique contributions to sharing its technologies and its lessons.
A Road Connecting Civilizations for the New Era
BRI’s concept of “mutual learning among civilizations” calls for treating all civilizations in an equal and inclusive manner, respecting the systems and beliefs of all countries, and promoting understanding and trust among different civilizations. Over the past decade, initiatives such as the Silk Road International League of Theaters, the International Alliance of Museums of the Silk Road, the Silk Road International Arts Festival, the Silk Road International Library Alliance and the Silk Road International Gallery Alliance had attracted close to 100 countries and international organizations by the end of 2022. China’s endeavor to further the country’s development along the Chinese path to modernization and create a new form of human advancement sends a strong message of modernization does not mean Westernization, and each civilization is valuable for being uniquely its own. This strengthens the confidence of different civilizations to shine together and complement each other.
Malaysia is one of the first countries to respond to the BRI, and it is also the country that has reaped the most fruitful harvest in the early days of the joint development of the BRI. Over the past decade, the trade volume between the two countries has increased from 106 billion U.S. dollars to 203.6 billion U.S. dollars last year, and China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years. Sabah, as an important node of the 21st century "Maritime Silk Road", is also an ideal investment hot spot for Chinese enterprises. Nowadays, the huge potential and broad prospects for friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Sabah have begun to emerge under the BRI framework. The Consulate General will continue to play its role as a bridge, and is committed to deepening exchanges and cooperation between China and Sabah in various fields, promoting the high-quality BRI cooperation, and opening up new horizons of win-win cooperation in the context of building a China-Malaysia community of shared future.