A container ship sits moored at the freight terminal at Piraeus Port. File photo: VCG

Representatives from 130 countries as well as 30 international organizations will participate in the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing this month, a Chinese official said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

The forum is not only the highlight in a series of commemorative events to mark the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)'s 10th anniversary, but also an important platform for all partners to plan high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Li Kexin, director general of the Department of International Economic Affairs of China's Foreign Ministry, said at a conference about the publication of a white paper on the BRI.

The forum will include an opening ceremony, three high-level sub-forums on connectivity, green development, digital economy, as well as six seminars, Li said, noting that an entrepreneur conference will also be held.

"China welcomes all parties to scale up inputs on basic infrastructure in developing countries, and is willing to cooperate with all parities on the basis of openness, inclusiveness, equal footing and mutual benefit, to provide more high-quality international public goods," Li said, responding to a question about competition from other infrastructure initiatives in the world.

He said that infrastructure plays an important role in promoting the global economic growth and boosting development across every country. Since the initiative was proposed in 2013, Laos has been transformed from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub, the Maldives has its first cross-sea bridge, Indonesia has its first high-speed railway, and East Africa has its first cross-border electrified railway - Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway.

Over the past decade, the BRI's circle of friends has continued to expand, Li said, adding that China has signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations.

The positive results of BRI cooperation, as well as its ever-expanding participating partners, prove that the BRI is not an exclusive club or a small clique. It has broken free from the stereotypical mindset of geopolitical gambling and created a new paradigm for international cooperation. It is a development path that brings happiness and benefit to all countries.