Pooling global insights: seminar on BRI cooperation and development held in NE China's Dalian

By Xue Lingqiao

(ECNS) -- The International Conference on New Opportunities for Cooperation and Development along the Belt and Road and Global Trade Watch Seminar was held on Saturday in Dalian, NW China's Liaoning Province.

Jointly organized by Dalian Minzu University and China Ethnic Pictorial, the seminar invited some 70 experts and faculty members from 10 countries.

Ding Keyi, deputy Party secretary and president of Dalian Minzu University, and Zhang Jikang, deputy party secretary of China Ethnic Pictorial, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Addressing the speech, Ding said that Dalian Minzu University has always been committed to serving national strategies, actively integrating into the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and engaging in practical cooperation with BRI partner countries in areas such as talent training, scientific research and innovation, and cultural exchange. 

Emphasizing that the seminar represents the university's practice of open education and contributions to the high-quality development of the BRI, he said it also provides an excellent opportunity to pool diverse expertise and explore development pathways.

He also expressed hope that the seminar would serve as a bond to transform more academic achievements into tangible contributions to national strategies, with an aim to write a new chapter of win-win cooperation under the BRI framework.

Following Ding's speeches, Zhang stated that the seminar focuses on crucial topics covering economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchanges, poverty reduction and sustainable development under the BRI, all of which hold significant practical relevance.

He added that China Ethnic Pictorial would take this opportunity to accelerate the overseas promotion of the "Dao Zhonghua" initiative, actively build a more effective international communication system, and create a platform for cross-regional and cross-cultural dialogue.

Placing greater emphasis on innovations driven by technology, Zhang said China Ethnic Pictorial will expand channels for international cultural exchanges, fully integrate into and contribute to the cultural interactions and mutual-learning under the BRI framework.

We will also strive to tell China's stories well, amplify China's voice effectively, and further enhance the global perception of a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China, said Zhang.

During the keynote speech session following the opening ceremony, a total of 19 experts and scholars from 10 countries, including China, Russia, the UK, the Philippines, and Bangladesh, delivered presentations and exchanged insights. Topics included new trends in economic and trade cooperation under the BRI and the construction of high-level open platforms, cultural exchanges and mutual-learning, and many others. 

Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, vice president of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, a Manila-based think tank, highlighted the positive role of the BRI in driving the development of the Global South, saying that the initiative has provided unprecedented opportunities for cooperation and development to countries worldwide, particularly emerging economies. 

She pointed out that the rise of the Global South stems from the collective efforts of Global South nations in economic depolarization, multilateral cooperation mechanisms, breaking traditional aiding dependency, transcending conventional development pathways, and actively engaging in global governance.

Describing the BRI as a strong catalyst in advancing these goals, she believes that the initiative has redefined the practice of development cooperation.

Looking forward, she believes the initiative will enter a new stage of sustainable and inclusive development, placing greater emphasis on high-quality growth. Therefore, she called on nations across the world to actively build bridges, not walls. 

Mohammad Saiyedul Islam, a senior lecturer from Sanming University in east China's Fujian Province, echoed this sentiment by citing how China's imports and exports have driven Bangladesh's economic growth.

He noted that the BRI has stimulated economic growth of participating countries, making its implementation highly beneficial for nations globally. Under the framework, he highlighted that Bangladesh and China have signed a series of memorandums of understanding (MoUs), and China has made significant infrastructure investment in Bangladesh, significantly improving the livelihoods of its people.

Themed with "New Opportunities for Belt and Road Cooperation and Development", the seminar organized six parallel forums on Saturday afternoon, discussing topics including economic and trade cooperation and innovation, trade efficiency enhancement and rule restructuring under the BRI.