President Tran Dai Quang (middle) (Source: VNA)Beijing (VNA) – The Belt and RoadForum for International Cooperation opened in Beijing, China on May 14.
The event was attended by high-level leadersfrom 29 nations, the United Nations Secretary General, the President of theWorld Bank (WB), the Director General of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Vietnamese delegation was headed byPresident Tran Dai Quang.
The two-day forum, under the theme “Belt andRoad: Cooperation for Common Prosperity” will have the Leader Roundtable,and high-level dialogues among ministers, enterprises and scholars.
Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh is scheduledto join the discussion about trade connectivity; Minister of Planning andInvestment Nguyen Chi Dung will attend the talks on policy connectivity; andPresident of the Vietnam – China Friendship Association Nguyen Xuan Thang will participatein the dialogue on people-to-people exchanges.
Addressing the opening ceremony, ChinesePresident Xi Jinping said China will pour an additional 100 billion CNY (14.5billion USD) into the Belt and Road initiative.
According to the National Development and ReformCommission of China, the country’s investment in projects related to theinitiative has totaled 60 billion USD since 2013. Most of China’s upcomingoverseas investment will go to the initiative’s member nations.
Once completion, the Belt and Road Initiative isexpected to create a large economic and trade network, covering a region with4.4 billion people, the combined GDP of 21 trillion USD.
The forum will close on May 15 with the releaseof a Joint Statement of the Leader Roundtable.-VNA
