President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the plenary session of the second Eurasian Economic Forum via video link upon invitation and delivered a speech on Wednesday.
In his speech, Xi said that as a member of the Eurasian family, China's development cannot be achieved without the Eurasian region, and it also benefits the region.
It is China's sincere hope that the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Eurasian Economic Union will be deepened, and all countries will work together with unity and dedication to open up new prospects for Asia-Europe cooperation, he said.
Xi's words were warmly received in Eurasian countries, where experts appreciate China's role in promoting the peaceful development of the region and the world, and believe that Xi's speech offers significant guidance for China-Eurasia cooperation.
SHARING NEW OPPORTUNITIES
China's development has been very advantageous to Eurasian countries, said Vitaly Mankevich, president of the Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, echoing Xi's words.
"The China-Central Asia Summit, which was held in the Chinese city of Xi'an and the recent visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to China have both yielded fruitful results. They are the best examples," added Mankevich.
Xi's speech at the opening ceremony shows that the Chinese leader attaches great importance to strengthening cooperation with countries in the Eurasian region, Kyrgyz political scientist Bakyt Baketaev said.
More than half of the members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are also members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and have close ties with China, which means that the EAEU could gain impetus from China to vitalize its development, said Baketaev.
Given China's vast domestic market and its growing influence, deepening trade and financial cooperation with China will bring more opportunities that will contribute to the overall social and economic development of the EAEU, said Vice President of the Association of Russian Banks Oleg Preksin.
Elena Lanina, the first vice-rector at the University under the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the EurAsEC, also believes that cooperation between China and Eurasian countries can yield many beneficial outcomes.
"Through cooperation between China and member states of the EAEU, it will be possible to cultivate talents through joint education programs, which will further promote talent exchanges and provide employment opportunities," she said.
EXPANDING NEW FIELDS
Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI, Xi said that the ultimate goal of this initiative is to explore new ways for countries from near and far to achieve common development and to open up a "path of happiness" that benefits the whole world.
People from Eurasian countries have already been benefiting from the initiative.
"Thanks to the initiative, cooperation between China and Central Asia will surely be promising in the future," said Polat Mukhammed, who is from Kazakhstan and now studying at China University of Petroleum.
As Belt and Road cooperation continues to expand into new fields, Mukhammed said that he has a wide range of employment opportunities after graduation. Many of his friends now are working in areas related to the BRI, such as logistics, trade, and energy.
"Eurasian countries are taking practical steps to facilitate Belt and Road cooperation. These countries have achieved very concrete results, and the initiative has also opened up many broad prospects," Mankevich said.
Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, rector of the Yerevan State University, is looking forward to expanding cooperation with China in the field of education.
"The Yerevan State University has set up Chinese courses and has established strong ties with Chinese universities. In the future, we can explore teaching cooperation under multilateral mechanisms," he said.
OPENING NEW CHAPTER
Xi said in the speech that China is ready to work with the countries that took part in the BRI and the member countries of the EAEU to continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, share opportunities, overcome difficulties, create a better future, and work together to write a new chapter in the progress of civilization in a multipolar world.
"There are very broad prospects for cooperation in trade, in the industrial sector, in technological development, logistics and transport," said Konstantin Dolgov, deputy chair of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy of Russia.
Alexey Buravlev, director of the Research Institute of Euro-Asian Studies at the University under the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the EurAsEC, believes that Xi's speech will inject vitality into cooperation between China and the EAEU.
"It will have a positive influence on joint projects in various fields such as science and technology," he said.
Alexey Egorov, rector of the Belarus State University of Economics, believes that one of the most important achievements that can be accomplished through China-Eurasia cooperation is the improvement of people's well-being.
"China has achieved great success in its economic development, and the concept of Chinese-style modernization should be carefully studied, and could serve as a reference point for the member states of the EAEU," he said.