Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the second session of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, addresses a press conference at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, March 3, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
China's top political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), reaffirmed its commitment to expanding international communications and building a global community of shared future during a press conference on Sunday.
"A decade of practice has amply demonstrated that the building of a global community with a shared future conforms to the trend of human development and progress, aligns with the common interests of people of all countries, and offers direction for a world at a crossroads, gaining broad recognition from the international community," said Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee.
Liu further emphasized the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a key platform for realizing this vision. "As an important platform for the practice of building a global community with a shared future, the high-quality joint-development of the Belt and Road Initiative provides immense opportunities for partner countries to achieve common development and enhance the well-being of their peoples, and has achieved remarkable results," Liu added.
The BRI, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, has given rise to numerous substantial and successful projects.
"Over the past decade, the Chinese government has signed more than 240 Belt and Road cooperation documents with over 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations, creating a large number of cooperative projects," Liu said. "This has established the world's most extensive and largest-scale international cooperation platform, with broad prospects for the high-quality co-development of the Belt and Road."
Rallying consensus for the building of a global community with a shared future is an important focus of the CPPCC in its external work, according to Liu. The CPPCC coordinates and carries out public diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy and think tank diplomacy. Over the past year, the political advisory body has engaged in exchanges and interactions with over 200 institutions from 50 countries, established connections with 41 foreign think tanks and 12 non-governmental organizations, formed a China-Africa friendship group under the 14th CPPCC National Committee, and invited representatives of international organizations in China, foreign diplomats and senior visiting scholars to participate in CPPCC activities to gain a deeper understanding of China.
"In 2024, the CPPCC National Committee will continue to adhere to the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, and to uphold tradition while fostering innovation. It will extensively and deeply engage in foreign exchange activities, make more friends and deepen friendships, allowing the world to better understand China and the CPPCC. This will contribute to the building of a global community with a shared future," the spokesperson said.
According to Liu, over the past year, political advisors have concentrated on offering suggestions for China's modernization, with economic issues having been a priority for national political advisors in performing their political consultation duties. A total of 94 consultations were held, addressing various topics such as the creation of the new development pattern, with 138 research and inspection activities conducted by the top political advisory body.
During the Sunday press conference, it was also revealed that the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee is scheduled to take place from March 4-10 in Beijing.