In fact, greater connectivity will also help in promoting greater dialogue amongst different nations and also help us address some of other chronic issues such as sectarianism and ethnic hatred. Speaking before an audience that included the Russian president Vladimir Putin, Mr Xi said his government had "no desire to impose our will on others".
The United States sent a delegation led by Matt Pottinger, special assistant to the president and senior director for Asia at the National Security Council. It also will be helpful for China to integrate its technology, manufacturing and service expertise with them to benefit more people around the world.
As China endeavors to push the One Belt One Road initiative off the drawing board and into reality President Xi made it clear all nations -in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas are welcome. He announced the creation of an American Belt and Road Working Group with representatives of the USA embassy in Beijing and American companies.
Jack Ma, founder and chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, said at the forum that "the Belt and Road Initiative is what China has for future".
To cheat Kashmir of a project that will benefit the rest of Pakistan would be petty. "The pursuit of the Belt and Road initiative requires a peaceful and stable environment", Mr. Xi said.
He calls Xi's address at the forum a watershed moment - redefining global trade and cooperation.
Xi said the world must create conditions that promote open development and encourage the building of systems of "fair, reasonable and transparent global trade and investment rules".
During the forum, China will sign business and trade cooperation agreements with over 30 countries and enter into consultation on free trade agreements with relevant countries.
Delegates in Beijing will hold a series of sessions on Sunday to discuss the plan in more detail, including trade and finance.
Xi pledged a major funding boost to the new Silk Road, including an extra 100 billion yuan ($14.50 billion) into the existing Silk Road Fund, 380 billion yuan in loans from two policy banks and 60 billion yuan in aid to developing countries and worldwide bodies in nations along the new trade routes. Critics also contend that China intends to export its overcapacity.
Indian foreign ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay has said India could not accept a project that compromised its sovereignty - an oxymoronic statement considering India wants to do exactly what China is doing, except it does not have the resources or capacity to take on a global trade project.
President Trump Addresses Graduates at Liberty University
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One during his departure from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Saturday, May 13, 2017. Liberty is a Christian university founded in 1971 by pastor and conservative activist Jerry Falwell.
The project " a belt road" is the reflection of our quest for a common development. She called for joint planning for infrastructure projects by all stakeholders instead of leaving it to one sponsor or country.
"Unprofitable investments are not good for anybody", said Andras Vertes, chairman of GKI Economic Research. "The role is still available if India changes its mind, but it may only be a small role if it is left too late", it said.
Here in Pakistan, we can only view this positively. In addition, it will provide global organisations with US$1 billion to implement cooperation projects that will benefit these countries.
The BRI has been growing since Mr Xi unveiled it in 2013, and it now has 68 countries representing 40 per cent of global GDP eager to participate.
On Saturday, Pakistan and China inked new deals worth almost Dollars 500 million, covering airport, port and highway construction, it said.
He declined to comment on the value of the investment but said that China's Lianyungang port will also invest in the project, which borders China's far western Xinjiang region.
The project, which envisions the creation of a land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and sea-based Maritime Silk Road, expands China's global leadership and encourages worldwide development. Countries neighbouring China that are involved may well feel they are requested and required to join.
Chinese companies may be taking risks in expanding to less developed areas along the Belt and Road routes, but they could be risks well worth taking.
A project of the century: that's how China's President Xi Jinping opened the Belt-and-Road Forum. The China-Laos railway is under construction and work on the China-Thailand railway is being accelerated.
The China Development Bank has earmarked US$890 billion for some 900 projects.
In the past four years, the initiative won support from more than 100 countries and worldwide organizations.
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