November 22nd, 2016

(From Biz China) The “Promote Connectivity and Jointly-build Trade Prosperity” forum opened at the Yiwu City Happy Lake International Conference Center on Nov. 14, 2016 and it was co-sponsored by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University and the Yiwu Municipal People’s Government. Officials from ministries, the leaders of Zhejiang Province as well as international dignitaries, celebrities and representatives from all walks of life totaling over 400 attendees were present at the two-day meeting.

Mr. Dou Enyong, Assistant to Minister of the International Department of the CPC, Mr. Liu Wei, President of Renmin University, and Mr. Gao Xingfu, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, made opening remarks. Mr. Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Djoomart Otorbaev, former Prime Minister of Kyrghyzstan, Mr. Grzegorz W. Kolodko, former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Poland, Mr. Bruno Maçães, Portugal’s State Secretary for European Affairs, and Mr. Xiao Wunan, Executive Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific Exchange & Cooperation Foundation, delivered keynote speeches.

In line with the current situation and the future of "One Belt and One Road", Mr. Xiao Wunan put forward the point of view of "One Response and Three Elevations" which drew the attention of attendees."One Response" means that we should be prepared for "anti-globalization". Since the 2008 global financial crisis, "anti-globalization" has become a trend all over the world with such landmark events as Brexit and Donald Trump’s election.The city of Yiwu has benefited from China's entry into the WTO and globalization, so that Yiwu Municipal Committee of the CPC and the Yiwu Municipal People’s Government should have adequate countermeasures. The "Three Elevations" signifies as follows: first, elevate China’s say and influence when formulating international rules. The current international political and economic order and rules are dominated by the U.S. and Western countries, and are not suitable to emerging countries especially China. The RMB's inclusion into the International Monetary Fund SDR and the China’s recent hosting of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou is an attempt to build a new international order and participate in global political governance. So the fulfillment of the "One Belt and One Road" vision relies heavily on the creation of a new international political, economic and social order and rules. The second one is to pay attention to the conflict caused by cultural and value differences. There exist distinct disparities among "One Belt and One Road" countries in terms of political system, economic situation, religious belief, cultural values and social environment, so it is bound to face a clash of cultures and values. To enhance the degree of attention or the capability of foresight is undoubtedly a prerequisite to defuse any crisis. The third one is to enhance the ability to control the ever-changing international situation. The current global crisis are mainly manifested in two aspects, one is the crisis caused by the contradiction between economic development and the lack of resources and the environment. The other is the clash of civilizations. The threat of global terrorism, in the strict sense, is the conflict between Christian and Islamic civilizations which will lead to unpredictable turbulence and changes. Most of the "One Belt and One Road " countries are deeply mired in the two crises. It is potentially possible that all kinds of changes will occur such as Libya crisis, South Sudan War which wreck heavy economic havoc to China, so we should enhance our ability to control the situation.

Asia Pacific Exchange & Cooperation Foundation dedicates itself to the building of the "One Belt and One Road" and has made remarkable achievements in such fields as the promotion of the Chinese side to participate in infrastructure construction in Djibouti and Thailand; the launch initiation of industrial parks in China and Malaysia; participation of Chinese companies' investment and M&A in such European countries as Italy and Czech; cooperation and exchanges with South Korea in the realm of Buddhism which has been as the beginning of the "golden age" between China and South Korea Buddhism since Mr. Zhao Puchu; and the expansion of exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan in the fields of economy, trade and culture. It is difficult to evaluate the importance and far-reaching significance of some projects for the time being. The "Lumbini Revival Plan" proposed by Asia Pacific Exchange & Cooperation Foundation on July 15, 2011 is recognized by the wold as a milestone event and has attracted great attention and support from relevant countries including the Chinese government with the assistance and approval of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and other UN agencies; On Dec. 7, 2015 the Foundation pushed for the Dubai International Financial City to be located in the Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone in city of Shenzhen. Mr. Hu Chunhua, a Politburo member and Party Secretary of Guangdong, Mr. Zhu Xiaodan, Deputy Party Secretary and governor of Guangdong, and people from all walks of life witnessed the signing ceremony; Recently, the Foundation pitched a cooperation platform for China and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA, the world's most famous African economic organization enjoying diplomatic status) to promote the 19 African countries to take part in the "One Belt and One Road" initiative.

The Asia Pacific Exchange & Cooperation Foundation is a prominent international organization co-founded by political dignitaries, renowned scholars, social activists, internationally influential enterprises and research institutes which has won widespread response and participation from personages of different regions, fields and cultural backgrounds.