On May 29th, the 2016 Imperial Springs International Forum convened in Guangzhou. Hu Chunhua, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Provincial Committee of Guangdong, together with Mr. Zhang Baowen, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress, addressed the opening ceremony after meeting with guests before the ceremony.

Co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association (ACFEA), the two-day 2016 Imperial Springs International Forum was themed "Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Cities in the Belt and Road Initiative." Attending the forum were more than 100 former heads of state and government from countries that included Latvia, Australia, Bolivia, New Zealand, Finland, the Republic of Korea, Tanzania, Nigeria, Greece, Colombia, and Romania, as well as global scholars, experts and business leaders.

Hu Chunhua, Politburo Member of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, said that Guangdong was a strategic and economic hub, a trade center, and a key engine of the Belt and Road Initiative. Ever since President Xi Jinping put forth the initiative, Guangdong has seized this historic opportunity to further open up and promote communication, economic cooperation, two-way investment, and cultural exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road route, seeking opportunities, facing challenges, and embracing development with the world.

The theme of this forum conformed to the reality of Guangdong's development and gave Guangdong an opportunity to draw further experience from other countries and cities to create an urban environment of better quality. Based on the examples provided by sister cities and other exchange platforms, Guangdong will enhance cooperation and communication with cities along the Belt and Road route to achieve win-win development.

Zhang Baowen, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress, said that the Belt and Road Initiative matches the common interests of all countries and conforms to the development trends of the world. The Chinese Government has inherited and promoted the Silk Road Spirit of "peace and cooperation, openness and tolerance, mutual learning and mutual benefit," while calling for the integration of the Chinese Dream with the dream of all people in all countries along the Belt and Road route. China welcomes all countries to take part in Belt and Road development and strengthen cooperation in order to seek progress and prosperity together.

Taking part in the forum were Madam Li Xiaolin, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; Dr. Chau Chak Wing, President of Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association; and Madam Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia and President of the World Leadership Alliance–Club de Madrid, who addressed the gathering at the opening ceremony. Zhu Xiaodan, Vice Secretary of the CPC Provincial Committee of Guangdong and Governor of Guangdong Province, also took part in the forum.

ACFEA President Dr. Chau Chak Wing: We should build more sustainable and resilient cities

Dr. Chau Chak Wing, President of Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association and Founder and Chairman of the Kingold Group, elaborated in his speech that cities are economic and cultural centers that have their own unique characteristics, and they should serve as examples for neighboring cities. He said this year's Imperial Springs International Forum focused on the practical topic of urban development, aiming to build greener, more sustainable, and resilient cities, which was expected to achieve fruitful results.

Vaira Vike-Freiberga stressed that China's Belt and Road Initiative had created an excellent platform for global trade, and economic and cultural cooperation. All countries that wished to join the initiative hope to form closer cooperative ties with China in order to capture new opportunities, address challenges together, and realize common development and prosperity.

John Howard, former prime minister of Australia; Jenny Shipley, former prime minister of New Zealand; and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former deputy chairman of the Planning Commission India delivered keynote speeches during the forum.

Proposed in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative began full-fledged implementation in 2015 after two years of planning and preparation. Therefore, the 2016 Imperial Springs International Forum focused on the topic of "Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Cities in the Belt and Road Initiative." The one-and-a-half-day forum consisted of opening and closing ceremonies, a keynote speech session, and four breakout sessions. In-depth discussions were conducted on topics that included the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, urban cooperation, and the development of and investment in infrastructure and resources. Participants from home and abroad shared their ideas and reached a consensus.

Former Australian PM John Howard: We should find effective ways to overcome poverty

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard said that the Belt and Road Initiative enabled countries of different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities to seek multilateral development and improve their capabilities to resist risks, adding that China's economic growth was not only beneficial to the country itself but also to the world economy, helping hundreds of millions of people to overcome poverty and raise their financial status.

"Some people claim that climate change is the most serious moral challenge we have ever encountered; however, the most urgent moral challenge, to me, is to identify the most effective way to help people escape poverty," said Mr. Howard. He went on to explain that the essential moral challenge should be the enabling of more citizens in the world to enjoy a higher standard of living, a longer lifespan, and a healthier lifestyle, while leaving ample development opportunities for future generations. The former head of state said that China has increasing economic power and influence under globalization.

Mr. Howard said, "Countries like mine should re-inject our energy into economic cooperation. The world has indeed benefited tremendously from globalization, from which China is able to achieve such amazing economic success."

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley: Belt and Road is an important platform to enhance urban inclusiveness

Jenny Shipley said the past two years had been a testament to the acceptability and inclusiveness of the Belt and Road cooperation mode and concept, highlighting that the Belt and Road framework has outlined a clear prospect with great foresight, while focusing on the enormous untapped potential in urban development.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is a great platform to exchange ideas, create a vision for the future, enable us to optimize resources sharing, and achieve better common development," she added.

She also shed light on the phenomenon of the global village, where people from different countries can live together harmoniously in a city, as can be seen in some first-tier metropolises. She called on the public to familiarize themselves with the concept of a resilient city, which is largely determined by social inclusiveness, and said that more attention should be paid on how to encourage urban residents from different cultural backgrounds to set aside their differences and develop shared interests in an international city of diverse economies, cultures, and backgrounds. "The Belt and Road framework has provided us with a foundation and a platform to enhance social inclusiveness," she said.

Ms. Shipley also reaffirmed New Zealand's confidence in the Belt and Road Initiative, saying, "We have seen the unprecedented changes the Initiative has brought to societies, as it allows economies of all scales to break through limitations and cooperate under a brand-new and inclusive framework to facilitate better resource allocation, while giving more support to international metropolises and their residents."

"I am confident that we will be able to engage in more specific talks on urban development under the Belt and Road framework through the Imperial Springs International Forum, so that more ideas in urban development can be shared and promoted," she added.

Further reading: Imperial Springs International Forum takes on a global vision

The Imperial Springs International Forum grew out of the 2011 Imperial Springs International Summit and was officially established in 2014 with the approval of the Chinese government. It is currently co-hosted by The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and The Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association (ACFEA) and has become an important platform for people-to-people diplomacy and international exchanges. The forum aims to enhance understanding and consensus among parties through discussions on important topics in international peace, common prosperity, economic development, and cultural exchange, thereby furthering regional and global cooperation.

The Imperial Springs International Forum is hosted in the beautiful Imperial Springs International Convention Center in the Conghua District of Guangzhou. With an ideal environment for high-level forums, the Imperial Springs International Convention Center has been the venue for a number of prestigious international conferences over the past five years, including the Global Economic Forum, the Global Summit of SME Leaders, and the Going to Latin America Forum. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton and former Australian Prime Minister John Howard have delivered speeches at Imperial Springs.

●  This article is translated from "在参与'一带一路'建设中实现共赢发展" published by XKB on May 30th, 2016.