World leaders converging on China for Belt and Road forum

ISTANBUL

As the world grapples with the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, world leaders have been flying to Beijing on Monday to attend the third Belt and Road Forum.

China's President Xi Jinping will address the opening ceremony Tuesday of the first face-to-face forum, held since 2019, which is expected to see participation by presidents, vice presidents, prime ministers, and other representatives from about 140 nations and 30 international organizations worldwide.

More than 4,000 participants are expected to engage in different activities, with Xi to "work with all participants to draw a new blueprint for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," Chinese state media reported.

Notable attendees include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, and leaders from Sri Lanka, the Republic of Congo, and Nigeria.

Many of them have already reached Beijing.

Ahead of flying to Beijing, Kakar said on X: "Starting off to Beijing to participate in the 3rd Belt and Road Forum, on the official invitation of President Xi Jinping. Looking forward to strengthening ties, engaging in dialogues, forging new partnerships, and promoting regional connectivity for a brighter future."

The two-day event will host six seminars and three high-level forums on connectivity, green development, and digital economy. An entrepreneurs conference is also scheduled on the forum's sidelines.

This year's forum also marks 10 years since Xi unveiled the multi-trillion-dollar transnational Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013.

The initiative, billed as recreating the ancient Silk Road to boost global trade infrastructure, was put forward by Xi in 2013 to connect China with the markets of Central Asia, Middle East, Europe, and Africa.

In coming years, Beijing has pledged that the BRI will become "more open."

Details shared by Beijing reveal that the cumulative value of imports and exports between China and BRI partner countries reached $19.1 trillion, with an average annual growth rate of 6.4% from 2013 until 2022.

Over the years, China has signed more than 200 BRI cooperation agreements with over 150 countries and 30-plus international organizations across five continents.