Cultural exchanges promote mutual understanding

In Zhou's eyes, "cultural prosperity" refers to an ideal culture that should advocate peace and harmony among nations around the world, which is what the forum attempts to promote.

Zhou also believed the biggest opportunity of our age was to build a "community of shared future". And BRI is a guide to seize the opportunity, he said.

What is the BRI? Zhou explained it is not an attempt to reshape the world, but for China to fully integrate into the world. China does not try to advance a grand initiative for selfish ends but for shared growth of global communities.

He also said the BRI was guided by the principles of consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, noting it was a friendly and inclusive initiative that encourages the widest possible participation.

Chinese enterprises have signed nearly 130 cross-border cooperation agreements, invested more than $83 billion in the countries that take part in the BRI and built 83 overseas economic development zones. China's trade with those countries in the past five years reached $1 trillion per year, accounting for one-quarter of China's foreign trade.

"BRI projects have created nearly 250,000 jobs for local people in host countries, and generated tax revenue of more than US$2.3 billion for local governments, " Zhou said during the speech.