Building the Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century with Open Mind and Bold Courage

—Address by Mr. Li Zhaoxing, Former Foreign Minister and Chairman of China Public Diplomacy Association at the International Symposium on Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century

12 February 2015 Quanzhou, Fujian Province

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to come to this renowned historical and cultural city of Quanzhou to participate in the International Symposium on Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century, and I would like to take this opportunity to extend my warmest congratulations for this event on behalf of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and China Public Diplomacy Association.

I grew up in a small coastal village in Shandong province. The middle school I went to actually built its students dormitories on the beach. I remember seawater flooding under my bed during the high tide and when it fell away, the floor was covered with sea mud. There were also days when we would take a dip in the water, or play by the beach, or simply sit there and watch the tides. I think for those of us who have grown up near the coast, we all share an emotional bond with the sea and deeply admire its greatness. As our common home, the blue waters unite us altogether.

This symposium takes place at a great moment, because the Belt and Road initiative, and particularly the development of the Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century, are very instrumental in promoting the development of the ocean economy and maritime cooperation among participating countries.

In less than a year and a half since the Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the Belt and Road initiative, China together with its partners are already delivering fruitful results. China has made substantive progress in policy planning and mechanism building. Through a series domestic and international conferences, different local regions, the academia, business community, cultural sector, and overseas Chinese communities have all been mobilized to contribute to the initiative. People have expressed high appreciations for the Silk Road Spirit and the proposal of Economic Cooperation Corridor among major economies. Over 50 states and the EU, ASEAN, SCO, UN ESCAP and other international organizations have responded positively the initiative. China has signed the Belt and Road cooperation agreements with Kazakhstan and other states, achieving breakthroughs with partner countries on projects and programs ranging from transport infrastructure to industrial development, and to people-to-people exchange. In addition, the Silk Road Fund has been successfully launched, and 26 states have signed up as charter members to establish the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).