Beijing to host second Belt and Road forum in April

The second forum on the Belt and Road cooperation will be held in Beijing in late April, with more comprehensive cooperation, said State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday.

President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech during the opening ceremony, Wang said.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, or BRF, will have more foreign heads of state and government than the previous forum and thousands of delegates from over a hundred are expected to attend.

It will include a series of events, such as leaders' round table, high-level meeting, thematic forum, CEO conference, under the theme of Belt and Road cooperation shaping a brighter shared future.

Wang said there will also be more side events, including 12 thematic forums focusing on practical cooperation, and for the first time a conference organized specifically for the business community.

Wang said the second forum aims to bring about a high quality Belt and Road cooperation, and China looks forward to a full exchange of views on the future cooperation plans.

He said China will build consensus with parties on high quality cooperation followed the principle of consultation, cooperation and shared benefits; champion an open, transparent and inclusive approach to Belt and Road cooperation, and thrive for green and sustainable development.

Meanwhile, China and the participating countries will seek a greater complementarity between the BRI and their development strategies, align up the key projects from the implementations of the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development, and pay more attention to improving the lives of the ordinary people.

Wang said China will act the spirit of win-win, focus on improving physical connectivity, build a stronger momentum for common development, and forge an even closer partnership.

China will champion openness and cooperation, support economic globalization, uphold multilateralism, and work with all to make the world economy an open one, Wang noted.

"We have reasons to hope and believe the second BRF will be a greater success," he said.