Beijing, January 24th--China-Southeast Asian and South Asian Countries’ Political Parties Belt and Road Joint Consultation Conference was held here today via videolink. Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC) attended the function and delivered a keynote speech. More than 100 leaders and representatives of more than 40 political parties and social organizations from Southeast Asian and South Asian countries, including Mahinda Rajapaksa, leader of the Sri Lanka People's Front and Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Chairman of National Assembly of Nepal and CPN-UML leader, Lodewijk Friedrich Paulus, Secretary General of the Party of Functional Groups and Deputy Speaker of the People's Representative Council of Indonesia, Wee Ka Siong, President of the Malaysian Chinese Association and Minister of Transport of Malaysia, and Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence and National Security of Pakistan and Chairman of Pakistan-China Institute, attended the conference.

Song said, during General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech delivered at the third symposium on the development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), General Secretary Xi positively commented on the fruitful results of the Belt and Road cooperation, and charted the course for the high-quality development of the BRI. Southeast Asia and South Asia are the key regions for the Belt and Road cooperation. The Belt and Road political party consultation mechanism established by the CPC and Southeast Asian and South Asian countries has made positive contributions to the BRI and propelled practical cooperation in various fields. The world today is at a critical juncture, as the pandemic continues to rage worldwide and significant changes unseen in a century pick up speed. The CPC is willing to work with political parties of countries in the region to implement the important consensus reached by General Secretary Xi and leaders of Southeast Asian and South Asian countries, and give full play to the leading and strategic role of the political parties to ensure that the BRI always aims at high-standard, sustainable and people-centered growth. All political parties need to make good use of the political parties joint consultation mechanism and "political party +" and other platforms to help accelerate infrastructure connectivity, and expand cooperation in health, green development, digital industry and innovation to promote the smooth implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership; adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, create more jobs, ensure people's livelihood, work on poverty alleviation, and consolidate the public opinion foundation for the BRI. All political parties should adhere to open regionalism. practice true multilateralism, carry forward the common values of mankind, and promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Song also briefed on the spirit of the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and the main content of General Secretary Xi’s speech at the 2022 World Economic Forum Virtual Session. He said that 2022 is a crucial year for China to embark on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects and marching towards its second centenary goal. The CPC will hold the 20th CPC National Congress and unite and lead the Chinese people to create a better future and better benefit the region and the world through its own development. Song introduced the preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics and wished the athletes from Southeast Asian and South Asian countries good results.

Mahinda, Timilsina and other foreign guests spoke highly of the world-renowned achievements China had made under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core in the fight against the COVID-19, eradication of absolute poverty, and promotion of economic and social development in the past year. They noted, the COVID-19 is raging the world, but the BRI has grown despite the headwinds, which has provided an important boost for the region to maintain global development and improve economic resilience, and has brought strong confidence in economic recovery of all countries and the world at large. The significance of the BRI to the future development of the world is further demonstrated. Political parties in Southeast Asia and South Asia are willing to work with the CPC to strengthen the Belt and Road political parties consultation, and advance mutually beneficial cooperation in infrastructure construction, the Health Silk Road and the Digital Silk Road, so as to bring more benefits to the people of all countries. All guests also wished the 20th CPC National Congress and the Beijing Winter Olympics a complete success.

The meeting adopted a joint initiative of the CPC and political parties in Southeast Asian and South Asian countries on jointly building the Belt and Road partnership and seeking development and cooperation. Chen Zhou, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, presided over the meeting.

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