The opening ceremony of the Silk Road Economic Belt- Xinjiang Karamay Forum was held in Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Aug 9. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2016 Silk Road Economic Belt- Xinjiang Karamay Forum, honored as the “Davos Forum in West China”, convened in Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Aug 9, attracting around 400 leading figures from the governments of China, Pakistan, Iran and Kazakhstan, as well as representatives from businesses and think-tanks.

Huang Wei, the executive vice president of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, makes a speech at the opening ceremony regarding deepening cooperation and promotion of economic and social development. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The forum was hosted by the People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and co-organized by the People’s Government of Karamay and the CASS National Institute of International Strategy.

Essam Sharaf, the former Prime Minister of Egypt, expresses his views on globalization and cultural exchange. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It aims to strengthen cooperation between China and countries along the Belt and Road Initiative region by discussing infrastructure construction, energy cooperation, information exchange, and cultural communication.