Experts declare BRI as the pinnacle initiative of the 21st century at Silk Road Forum

On December 6, 2023, the forum “Benefiting All Mankind: Dialogues with the Silk Road” was held. The forum was co-sponsored by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies under China International Communications Group (CICG), the Pakistan-China Institute, the European Union Asia Centre, and the Cultural Communication Center of CICG.

Gao Anming, vice-president and editor-in-chief of CICG, and Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman of Pakistan’s Senate Defence Committee and Pakistan-China Institute, attended the meeting and delivered speeches.

Twelve Chinese and foreign think tank experts, including Pakistani expert on international studies Abdur Rahman, delivered keynote speeches on the theme of “Inheriting the Silk Road Culture, Jointly Promoting People’s Well-being”.

Gao pointed out that over the past 10 years, the Belt and Road Initiative has brought China and its partner countries closer together, and has deepened exchanges and mutual understanding among different civilizations.

“Rooted in history and looking to the future, BRI has harnessed the synergy of civilizations to foster the development of a community with a shared future for mankind,” said Gao.

Mushahid stated that BRI is the most significant initiative of the 21st century, lifting 400 million people out of poverty globally, primarily through flagship projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

“As a new platform for international cooperation, BRI will achieve a more open development prospect based on the principle of planning together, building together, and benefiting together.”

“Currently, the narratives of the East and the West are significantly different. In a multipolar world, we need a diverse response. China and Pakistan are good friends who are working together to promote the BRI towards a better future,” Mushahid added.
In his keynote speech, Abdur emphasized that BRI has helped modernize Pakistan by creating numerous job opportunities and improving people’s well-being under CPEC.

“Pakistan is capable of effectively managing the regional situation and achieving safer and more cohesive development.

Meanwhile, we should strengthen the influence of social media and the availability of intellectual products, while also enhancing institutional connectivity to facilitate better people-to-people exchanges and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes,” said Abdur.

At the meeting, a research report on “Chinese Modernization and Jointly Building the BRI with South Asian Countries” was released.

The report is the latest result of the joint research carried out by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and Pakistan-China Institute.

It is also one of a series of reports on “Understanding Chinese Modernization”. The report explores the unique characteristics of Chinese modernization from the viewpoint of Pakistan.

It analyzes the importance of collaborative modernization for South Asian nations and proposes recommendations for China and South Asian countries to enhance cooperation in modernization and development.