Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday the Belt and Road Initiative is not a tool to advance any geopolitical agenda, but a platform for practical cooperation. [Special Coverage]
It is not a foreign aid scheme, but an initiative for interconnected development which calls for extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, Xi said while delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum scheduled for Sept. 3-4 in the southeastern coastal city of Xiamen.
"I am convinced that the Belt and Road Initiative will serve as a new platform for all countries to achieve win-win cooperation and that it will create new opportunities for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," he said.
China hosted the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May which was attended by 29 heads of state or government and more than 1,600 representatives from more than 140 countries and 80-plus international organizations.