I want to thank the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for building this golden bridge, which enabled us to live a happy life wherever we are, said an African girl named Rose at the Thematic Forum on People-to-People Connectivity of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held on the afternoon of October, 18th, 2023. Her story of marrying a Chinese and working as an agricultural entrepreneur in China garnered applause from the audience.  

Rose currently resides in Lishui, Zhejiang Province. Eight years ago, with the advancement of the BRI, she became a salesperson at a Chinese furniture store and later married a Chinese. Now, through livestreaming and the Silk-Road E-commerce, she sells Chinese agricultural products to Africa and the world, sharing her beautiful life through her smartphone and fostering communication and understanding among people from different regions.  

The theme of this forum was "Working Together for a Prosperous Future: Common Aspiration and Shared Dream". Representatives from BRI countries shared touching stories of people-to-people connectivity. The forum also invited representatives from the international civil society who had received reply letters from President Xi Jinping in recent years to share the reply letters and their feelings during their visits to China.  

During the forum, many foreign participants highly praised President Xi Jinping's foresight in proposing the BRI and the fruitful results achieved over the past decade, which have benefited all BRI partners. They expressed their willingness to contribute to high-quality Belt and Road cooperation through enhanced cultural exchanges.  

Miguel Ángel Moratinos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, stated that the BRI envisions a new perspective of mutual respect, cooperation, and understanding among humanity, pointing the way towards a prosperous future. The BRI promotes mutual understanding and dialogue among different religions, cultures, and civilizations, fostering an environment of mutual respect and cooperation.  

Marinko Cavara, the rotating Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized that the BRI calls for peace, prosperity, unity, and cooperation. He stressed the importance of strengthening the foundation of partnership and cooperation among countries, nations, and all peoples.  

Sommad Pholsena, Vice Chairman of National Assembly of Laos, said, the Belt and Road cooperation plays an important role in deepening policy communication among countries and promoting global connectivity and economic development, and serves as an international cooperation platform for countries to achieve sustainable development and a path to prosperity and progress.  

During the outcome release session, the forum announced a joint initiative on the connectivity of the Silk Road and a list of 120 achievements, and launched the joint initiative.  

The thematic forum was organized by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, with over 300 participants, including political heavyweights, experts, scholars, and representatives from non-governmental organizations and relevant Chinese departments.