Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation
Thematic Session on Think Tank Exchanges
May 11, 2017
Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was proposed more than three years ago, the relevant cooperation has made steady progress,yielding important outcomes. On 14-15 May 2017, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in Beijing, an important occasion to pool wisdom, sum up experience, plan for the future and accelerate all-round practical cooperation in building the Belt and Road. Think tank exchanges is an important part of the international cooperation in building the Belt and Road, playing a special role in promoting connectivity, especially the connectivity of the people.
The Thematic Session on Think Tank Exchanges under the Forum will focus on the theme of“Jointly Build an Intellectual Silk Road”. About 200 Chinese and foreign guests will attend the meeting, including leading officials and experts from well-known think tanks, former political leaders and heads of international organizations.
It consists of the opening ceremony and three sessions, namely, the Belt and Road for facilitating robust, balanced, inclusive and sustainable global economy, Silk Road of openness, inclusiveness and mutual learning, and the Belt and Road, a international cooperation blueprint for innovation-driven development.
Discussions will focus on the following issues:
(1) The B&R’s positive role in expanding global demand, promoting global supply and cultivating new global growth momentum, (2) How does the B&R facilitate the establishment of new mechanisms for global trade and investment, (3) How does the B&R promote global inclusive development and create conditions for the youth and SMEs of all countries to participate in international cooperation, (4) building green B&R; (5) the role of think tanks in building the B&R, (6) promoting the docking between BRI and key development strategies and plans of relevant regions and countries, (7) facilitating B&R’s healthy development.
In summary, the Thematic Session on Think Tank Exchanges has the following three features:
Firstly, focusing on the trends of the times. Currently, protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise while globalization and multi-polarization continue to develop. Participants will discuss how the B&R, a global public product, can promote the development of global trade and investment and boost global supply. All these are important and meaningful for developing a more inclusive and sustainable global economy.
Secondly, focusing on practical cooperation in the future. The Thematic Session will discuss the development prospect of relevant regions and countries and how they can integrate their development strategies. This will play a vital role in building up consensus, understanding each other’s strengths, identifying cooperation goals, designing cooperation pathways and jointly establishing cooperation platforms.
Last but not least, giving full play to the role of think tanks. The participants of the Session include the most well-known scholars and experts from the world’s most prestigious think tanks. Therefore, it will give full play to the role of think tanks in offering intellectual support and fostering cross-cultural exchanges. Moreover, it will make remarkable contributions to creating a long-term cooperation mechanism for building the Belt and Road and establishing a practical and win-win partnership.