Page 1 - ON BUILDING A HUMAN COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE

WORkING TOGETHER TO ADvANCE

THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIvE

May 14, 2017

Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Heads of International Organizations,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,

In this lovely season of early summer when all living things
brim with energy, I wish to welcome all of you, distinguished guests
representing over 100 countries, to Beijing to attend this important
forum on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This is indeed a gathering
of great minds. In the coming two days, I hope that, by drawing on our
wisdom and engaging in full exchanges of views, we can contribute to
the advancement of the BRI, a project of the century, so that it will
benefit people across the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,
Over 2,000 years ago, our ancestors braved the vast steppes and
deserts to open a transcontinental passage connecting Asia, Europe,
and Africa, known today as the Silk Road. They hoisted their sails and
navigated rough seas to forge sea routes linking East and West, which
became known as the Maritime Silk Road. Through these routes,
the ancient Silk Road opened windows for friendly exchange among
nations, and is recorded as a splendid chapter in the history of human
progress. The thousand-year-old “gilt bronze silkworm” displayed at
China’s Shaanxi History Museum, the Belitung shipwreck discovered in

Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International
Cooperation in Beijing.

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