Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), attended the fourth Belt and Road Symposium on the construction of the Belt and Road in Beijing on the 2nd of February and delivered an important speech, in which he made a comprehensive deployment for the promotion of high-quality development of the Belt and Road at the present time and in the coming period.

In an interview with Xinhua, people from many countries said that President Xi Jinping's important speech accurately grasped the general trend of history and development, guiding the direction of high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road at this critical period, and strengthening the confidence of all parties in the joint construction to work together to overcome all kinds of risks and challenges, and to continuously expand the win-win space for new development.Looking ahead, the joint construction of the Belt and Road will surely bring the people of the co-constructing countries a greater and more fulfilling sense of gain and happiness, and open up broader prospects for the common development of mankind.

"Catalyst for global development"

President Xi Jinping's important speech fully affirmed the significant achievements made in building the Belt and Road, pointing out that the areas of cooperation in building the Belt and Road have continued to expand, the scope of cooperation has continued to expand, the level of cooperation has continued to improve, and the international appeal, influence and cohesion have continued to increase.The international appeal, influence and cohesion of the co-construction of the Belt and Road has continued to grow, and China has made contributions to enhancing friendship with the co-constructing countries and promoting the economic and social development of these countries.People from many countries share this sentiment and highly agree that the joint construction of the Belt and Road has brought about tangible and substantial results.

"Building the 'Belt and Road' together is a successful example of President Xi Jinping's promotion of South-South cooperation."said Veronica Saraswati, director of the Indonesia-China Partnership Research Centre.She summarised the three major impacts of the "Belt and Road" co-operation: its effectiveness in driving economic development and promoting employment in the co-constructed countries; its investment in infrastructure such as energy and water conservancy, which strengthens the ability to deal with poverty; and the provision of inclusive education and training opportunities, which helps to cultivate local technical talents."In the case of the Javan High Speed Railway, for example, the opening of the project has significantly reduced the travel time between Jakarta and Bandung, greatly enhancing transport connectivity, as well as boosting business and economic development in the areas along the route and creating new opportunities for the tourism industry."

"Practice over the past decade or so has shown that building the 'Belt and Road' together is a powerful catalyst for achieving common prosperity and development."Yasiru Ranaraja, founding director of Sri Lanka's Belt and Road Organisation and an expert on international issues, said the co-construction of the Belt and Road co-operation has helped co-constructing countries to build infrastructure such as ports, railways and highways, strengthen interconnectivity, reduce trade costs and promote better integration of local small and medium-sized enterprises into the global supply chain.local small and medium-sized enterprises to better integrate into the global supply chain."Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port and Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) have gained development under the framework of the co-construction of 'One Belt, One Road', attracting more investment and increasing trade volume.These cooperative projects help Sri Lanka become an important node of maritime trade routes, promote the development of regional trade networks, integrate the local economy into the global value chain, and contribute to economic globalisation."

Kenyan international expert Lemi Nyongesa Mulaku pointed out that the construction of "One Belt, One Road" is deeply aligned with Africa's development agenda, and through cooperation in highways, railways, information and communication technologies, industrial parks and special economic zones, it will help Africa achieve the goal of industrialisation and development, and promote Africa's development to a new level.Taking Kenya as an example, he said that the construction of roads, railways, ports and other infrastructure has significantly enhanced Kenya's position as an economic hub in East Africa; Kenyan-Chinese business cooperation has boosted the rapid development of Kenya's digital economy; and training projects provided by the Chinese side have strongly supported the cultivation of talents in Kenya and other African countries. ......"Kenya should further integrate the 'Belt and Road' project deeply into its national development planning."

Eduardo Klingel, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic and director of the Centre for Analysis and Research on China and Asia (CERCAS), described the results of the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative as "tangible" and "remarkable".The results achieved by the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" have been described as "tangible" and "effective"."Co-construction of the 'Belt and Road' has shown with practice that co-constructing countries can achieve development by improving infrastructure and logistics conditions."More than 3,000 co-operation projects have been formed under the "Belt and Road" framework to promote the implementation of key infrastructure such as ports, airports, bridges, pipelines, railways and viaducts, Klingel said."Building the 'Belt and Road' together will continue to be a catalyst for global development."

"Focus on tailoring to the actual needs of countries"

President Xi Jinping pointed out that the construction of the Belt and Road has entered a new stage of high-quality development, and stressed the importance of integrating and deepening "hard connectivity" in infrastructure, "soft connectivity" in rules and standards, and "heart connectivity" with the people of the co-built countries.It also emphasises the importance of integrating the deepening of "hard connectivity" in infrastructure, "soft connectivity" in rules and standards, and "heart connectivity" with the people of the co-constructing countries, integrating the promotion of major landmark projects and the construction of "small but beautiful" livelihood projects, integrating the consolidation of co-operation in traditional areas and the steady expansion of co-operation in emerging areas, and perfecting mechanisms for promoting the high-quality co-construction of the Belt and Road.One Road" mechanism, and continuously expand a new space for win-win development at a higher level that is more resilient and sustainable.

"President Xi Jinping has outlined a clear path for building the 'Belt and Road' in high quality."Against the backdrop of the world entering a new period of turbulence and change, President Xi Jinping has once again made a systematic deployment to promote the high-quality development of the co-construction of the Belt and Road, providing planning security and predictability for the co-constructing countries and the relevant enterprises, said Kiseyi Zoltan, director of the Centre for Political Analysis at the Szaszódvédgyr Foundation in Hungary."By integrating and deepening the 'hard connectivity' of infrastructure and the 'soft connectivity' of rules and standards, the construction of the 'Belt and Road' will move to a higher level, and co-constructioncountries will gain more space for development in their cooperation and exchanges with China."

From Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville Highway, Siem Reap Angkor International Airport to Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone ...... Thong Manh Davy, a researcher at the Institute of International Issues and Public Policy at the Royal Cambodian University in Phnom Penh, has detailed the key projects of the "Belt and Road" co-operation between Cambodia and China.He pointed out that the "Belt and Road" co-operation focuses on matching development strategies and complementing each other's strengths, and is organically integrated with Cambodia's "Five Corners Strategy", playing a crucial role in realising the common vision of peaceful development, win-win co-operation and common prosperity.China has proposed accelerating the construction of the Green Silk Road and the Digital Silk Road, and the relevant projects will provide more opportunities for Cambodia to develop clean energy, modernise its information and communication infrastructure and promote the growth of the digital economy.

Shakil Ramai, chief executive officer of the Asian Institute of Ecological Civilisation Research and Development in Pakistan, said that the overall construction of Gwadar Port, one of the pillar projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, is a vivid portrayal of the idea of "integrating the construction of major landmark projects and 'small but beautiful' livelihood projects"." a vivid portrayal."In Gwadar Port, there are key free zones, the East Bay Expressway, the new international airport and other major landmark projects, which have 'strengthened the muscles and bones' of Gwadar Port and even the entire Pakistani economy, and at the same time, schools, hospitals, seawater desalination plants, the China-Pakistan Friendship Forest and other'small but beautiful' livelihood projects, bringing great help to the local people in their daily education, medical treatment and water use."

According to Teng Shaojun, President of the U.S.-China Public Affairs Association, there are three salient features of the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road: win-win cooperation, which focuses on tailor-made projects based on the actual needs of each country; sustainable development, which incorporates the concept of green development, and promotes projects of clean energy and environmentally friendly infrastructure, so as to achieve coordinated development of the economy and the ecology; and broad participation, which attracts the participation of more countries and enterprises through multilateral mechanisms and regional collaboration.Wide participation, through multilateral mechanisms and regional collaboration, to attract the participation of more countries and enterprises, and build an open and inclusive cooperation platform.He said that the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road would "help developing countries achieve economic development and improve people's livelihoods through improving infrastructure, promoting economic growth, creating jobs and upgrading public services, and providing support for sustainable development".

"Helping to lead humanity to a better future"

In recent years, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, with a marked rise in unilateralism and protectionism, and frequent local conflicts and turmoil.President Xi Jinping has pointed out that under the current severe and complex international environment, there are both opportunities and challenges in promoting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road together, but on the whole, the opportunities outweigh the challenges.President Xi Jinping's profound elaboration on the new situation facing the construction of the Belt and Road has struck a chord with people from many countries.

"The initiative to build 'One Belt, One Road' plays an indispensable role in promoting pragmatic cooperation, especially in this era of uncertainty and global crisis."Essam Al-Jubaisi, CEO of Saudi Arabia's Business Intelligence Group, said, "Building 'One Belt, One Road' plays a key role in building a consensus for development and promoting inclusive growth.Through common projects, countries can overcome their differences and work together to achieve common goals.Building 'One Belt, One Road' together focuses on development, innovation, and connectivity, and provides opportunities for countries to work together to address pressing global challenges and promote a more balanced and harmonious world."

Dennis Munene, Executive Director of the China-Africa Centre of the Kenya Institute for African Policy Studies, said that the current rise in trade protectionism and anti-globalisation has brought about a serious impact on the global economy.The "One Belt, One Road" initiative promotes enhanced international cooperation and exchanges, injecting new vitality into globalisation, while helping to reduce regional conflicts and maintain world peace and stability."Opposition to the 'One Belt, One Road' co-operation may stem from the desire of certain countries or groups to see the African continent remain underdeveloped, as they have benefited from Africa's underdevelopment.And the co-construction of 'One Belt, One Road' co-operation has brought about a change in the continent, allowing African countries to have more say and the ability to develop on their own."

President Xi Jinping has pointed out that we should insist on drawing a blueprint to the end, working one crop after another, overcoming all kinds of risks and challenges, and unswervingly pushing forward the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road, so as to make greater contributions to the promotion of building a community of human destiny.

"The initiative to jointly build 'One Belt, One Road' has been widely recognised by countries around the world, and many countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas and other regions have signed cooperation documents with China to jointly build 'One Belt, One Road', which has not only boosted regional developmentcooperation, but also promotes the reshaping of the international economic landscape and strengthens multilateralism."Selçuk Çolakoglu, director of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies in Turkey, said, "From this point of view, the initiative to jointly build the 'Belt and Road' has brought new impetus and perspectives to global economic governance."

Hector Grobler, a former senior diplomat of South Africa, sent a joint letter to President Xi Jinping this year, together with scholars from many African countries, highly appreciating the historic achievements of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).Grobler pointed out that the construction of the "Belt and Road", with the highest goal of building a community of human destiny, focusing on the future and overall interests of mankind, adapting to changes in the world situation, and meeting the expectations of the international community, "may be the most ambitious co-operation initiative ever, and will help lead mankind to a better future".It is "probably the most ambitious cooperation initiative ever launched and will help lead mankind to a better future".