BEIJING -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Monday attended the fourth symposium on Belt and Road construction work in Beijing and delivered an important speech. He stressed that promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation has both opportunities and challenges in the face of grave and complicated international situation, but overall, opportunities outweigh challenges. He said we must strengthen strategic confidence, maintain strategic focus and act courageously with a sense of responsibility to create a brighter future for Belt and Road cooperation.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium. Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese vice premier, presided over the symposium.

During the symposium, speeches were given by Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, Ma Zhaoxu, Chinese vice foreign minister, Yin Li, secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Wang Menghui, secretary of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, Hu Wangming, chairman of China Baowu Steel Group Corporation Limited, Feng Xubin, chairman of YXE Trading Service Group Co., Ltd., and Xing Guangcheng, director of the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. They introduced their respective work based on reality and put forward opinions and suggestions.

After listening to their speeches, Xi delivered an important speech. He pointed out that since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was put forth in 2013, the Belt and Road cooperation, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and with the joint efforts of all parties, has consistently embraced the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit. It has stayed committed to the principle of "planning together, building together, and benefiting together". The sectors and scope of Belt and Road cooperation have continued to expand, while the level of cooperation has been further elevated. The cooperation has demonstrated greater international appeal, influence and rallying power, and has made major achievements, making China's contribution to enhancing friendship with Belt and Road participating countries and boosting their economic and social development.

Xi emphasized that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change in recent years, with notably rising unilateralism and protectionism and frequent outbreaks of regional conflicts and disturbances. Against this backdrop, to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, it is imperative to appropriately manage all types of risks and challenges, effectively address the impact of geopolitical conflicts, properly handle the relationship between strengthening the sense of fulfillment among participating countries and ensuring the benefits for China, and effectively safeguard the security of China's overseas interests.

Xi pointed out that the Belt and Road cooperation has entered a new stage of high-quality development. It is necessary to adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, move faster to create a new pattern of development, and hold high the banner of a human community with a shared future. It is imperative to adhere to the principle of "planning together, building together, and benefiting together," the philosophy of open, green and clean cooperation, and the goal of pursuing high-standard, people-centered and sustainable cooperation, follow through on the eight major measures for supporting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and focus on connectivity. It is a must to combine high-quality development with greater security, government guidance with market operation, scientific layout with dynamic optimization, and quantitative growth with qualitative improvement. It is necessary to deepen "hard connectivity" of infrastructure, "soft connectivity" of rules and standards, and "heart connectivity" between peoples among partner countries. It is imperative to advance major signature programs and "small yet smart" livelihood programs in a coordinated manner. It is necessary to consolidate cooperation in traditional areas and steadily expand cooperation in emerging areas in a coordinated manner, improve and promote the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation mechanism, and create new space for win-win development at a higher level and with greater resilience and sustainability.

Xi stressed that it is necessary to focus on strengthening the mechanisms for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and improve the cooperation, planning, coordination and management mechanisms, improve the coordination mechanism for promoting "hard connectivity", "soft connectivity" and "heart connectivity", improve the practical cooperation mechanism of industrial and supply chains, improve the international exchange and cooperation mechanism in emerging fields, and improve the diversified guarantee mechanism for investment and financing. It is a must to improve the internal and external coordination mechanism for risk prevention and control, improve the mechanism for safeguarding overseas interests, improve the mechanism for high-level international communication, improve the cooperation mechanism for clean Silk Road, and promote the steady and long-term development of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Xi stressed sticking to the agenda to turn blueprints into reality and carrying out hard work over generations, having the courage to overcome various risks and challenges, unswervingly promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and making greater contributions to promoting the building of a human community with a shared future.

While presiding over the symposium, Ding said that Xi's important speech fully acknowledged the major achievements in Belt and Road cooperation and made comprehensive arrangements for promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation in the present and near future. Xi's important speech is profound in vision, deep in thought, incisive in argumentation, and rich in content, providing important guidance and charting the course forward for promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation in the next golden decade. Ding said we must earnestly study, gain a full understanding of, and resolutely implement it. All localities, departments, and organizations must continuously strengthen strategic thinking, security awareness, systems thinking, and international visions. With a focus on advancing systematic and institutional mechanisms, they should continuously improve top-level design, formulate practical measures, deepen international cooperation, and foster a group of influential and significant projects for cooperation and generate more exemplary and leading achievements, in a bid to jointly create new space for win-win development at a higher level and with greater resilience and sustainability.

Wang Yi, He Lifeng and Wu Zhenglong attended the symposium.

Leading officials in charge of BRI construction work from members of the leading group on advancing BRI development, relevant central Party and government departments, all provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, as well as heads of relevant companies and representatives of experts and scholars, participated in the symposium.