Beijing Buzzes at the Opening of the Belt and Road Forum... Detailed Schedule Under 'Security'

'Xi Jinping Talks About the Belt and Road' Publication Ceremony Held
Attention on Announcements Following Summit with President Putin

As the Belt and Road Initiative (land and maritime Silk Road), a core project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, marks its 10th anniversary with a summit forum, Beijing, the host city, is buzzing with activity. Local media have been continuously releasing reports introducing the Belt and Road project, and books bearing President Xi's name have been published in multiple languages.

According to the Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum Media Center on the 17th, this year's summit forum is held over two days starting today in Beijing, the capital of China, under the theme "Building a High-Quality Belt and Road Together, Joining Hands to Achieve Common Development and Prosperity." The Belt and Road project, connecting Central Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa by land and sea, celebrates its 10th anniversary since President Xi first announced the concept in 2013. This summit forum, aimed at strengthening ties among heads of state, is being held for the third time following 2017 and 2019.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the first day of the forum, the 17th, there will be a business forum and a welcome banquet, while on the second day, the 18th, the opening ceremony and thematic forums will take place. On the 18th, three high-level forums on connectivity, green development, and the digital economy will be held simultaneously, along with six thematic forums on smooth trade, people-to-people exchanges, think tank cooperation, the clean Silk Road, regional cooperation, and maritime cooperation. President Xi is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, highlighting the achievements of the Belt and Road project over the past 10 years and outlining future plans.

The most anticipated event of this forum is the summit meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Xi. Meeting for the second time this year following their March encounter, the two leaders are expected to discuss their policies toward the United States and current issues such as the recent Israel-Hamas conflict. According to the Kremlin, President Putin is also scheduled to speak at the opening ceremony following President Xi.

Local media have been reporting on the significance of this forum and its achievements, as well as announcing the publication of books related to the Belt and Road project bearing President Xi's name. The book, titled "Xi Jinping on the Belt and Road," has been published in multiple languages including German, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese. It contains 42 articles written by President Xi from September 2013 to July 2018 on promoting the joint construction of the Belt and Road. To commemorate this, a ceremony hosted by the State Council Information Office and China International Publishing Group was held with the participation of envoys, experts, and scholars from various countries.

Notably, detailed information related to the forum has not been disclosed in advance. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about 4,000 participants from 140 countries and 30 international organizations are expected to attend. However, official details such as the list of attendees, specific times and locations of each event and thematic forum have not been released. It is only known that the opening ceremony will be held at the Beijing Great Hall of the People, and other events will take place at the National Convention Center.

South Korea is not sending a government delegation to the forum, but some officials, including Cho Seung-hwan, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, will attend. At the first forum held in 2017, then-Democratic Party lawmaker Park Byeong-seok and First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam attended, and at the second forum in 2019, a delegation led by Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, participated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.