The Belt and Road CEO Conference Photo: Bai Yunyi/GT

The Belt and Road CEO Conference was held on October 17, which is an opening event of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF). With participation from over 80 countries and regions, including over 20 minister-level officials, more than 30 heads of foreign business associations, and nearly 60 representatives from Fortune Global 500 companies, the conference had over 1,200 attendees. The event has yielded remarkable achievements. Whether it's the number of projects, the countries involved, or the contracted amount, they all exceeded the previous CEO Conference.

The conference issued the "The Belt and Road CEO Conference Beijing Declaration," emphasizing five key points: a commitment to open cooperation, deepening connectivity, promoting green development, advancing digital economic cooperation, and adhering to compliance and fulfilling social responsibilities. These points represent the consensus of entrepreneurs from various countries attending the conference. They not only reflect the representative spirit and principles of entrepreneurs in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) but also provide a specific direction for future collective efforts. Against the backdrop of deliberate disruptions to the global industrial and supply chain systems, this declaration stands as a consensus statement from the global business community, demonstrating confidence in unity and cooperation and sending out a strong message of our time.

The business community is a participant, contributor, and driving force in the BRI development. The enthusiasm of enterprises largely reflects the appeal and attraction of the BRI. The CEO Conference, as an innovative initiative of the second BRF in 2019, has provided a more vibrant platform for connecting and negotiating between Chinese and foreign enterprises. On Tuesday, nearly 300 Chinese and foreign representatives signed agreements, covering various fields such as infrastructure, clean energy, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, financial services, modern agriculture, and rail transportation.

Enterprises will continue to play a crucial role in the BRI in the future. The BRI cooperation provides many entrepreneurs with opportunities and platforms to showcase their abilities. The Belt and Road CEO Conference calls for more entrepreneurs to participate in the construction of this path of opportunities and prosperity, benefiting the world while achieving their own greater development.

On Tuesday, in addition to the Belt and Road CEO Conference, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway officially began operations, marking Indonesia's entry into the era of high-speed rail. Chinese railway manufacturer CRRC Corp also signed an agreement with Serbia's transport and infrastructure ministry in Beijing to sell high-speed rail carriages to Serbia. The birth and implementation of these cooperative projects are inseparable from the nurturing of the BRI and the dedication of numerous enterprise builders.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized when addressing a welcome banquet for guests attending the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the achievements of Belt and Road cooperation are neither a windfall nor made with others' alms-giving and charity, but are earned by governments, enterprises and the people of participating countries with their diligence, wisdom and courage.

Enterprises are the most active cells in the development of the BRI. As the BRI involves so many countries and faces different cultural customs, legal systems, and levels of development, the entrepreneurial spirit of building the Belt and Road must be open and inclusive. It is essential to respect local culture, abide by local laws and regulations, pursue win-win cooperation, and demonstrate a strong sense of social responsibility in serving the local people. At the same time, building the Belt and Road is also a process of extending economic globalization to a global scale. During this process, large-scale world-class international enterprises will inevitably emerge or be created. Seizing the opportunity can lead to development and growth, and some enterprises may even achieve great accomplishments. Both enterprises and entrepreneurs need to have sufficient imagination to contribute to the success of the BRI.

The BRI originated from China but belongs to the whole world. With the advancement of the high-quality construction of the BRI, more enterprises from participating countries as well as other countries have jointly constructed a more diverse and vibrant economic ecosystem for the Belt and Road. The foundation and the directions established for BRI cooperation over the past decade have increased the confidence of the business community, and the potential that the BRI may create in the future has ignited the passion of visionary entrepreneurs. Although there may be obstacles ahead, it will undoubtedly witness the blooming of more flowers.