In his opening speech at the forum, Bai Chunli, President of Chinese

Academy of Sciences (CAS), said "the Belt and Road Initiative is the biggest overarching international cooperation initiative that the Chinese Government has ever proposed," adding that "it reflects the common aspiration of both China and much of the world for development. With this initiative, China hopes to share development opportunities and experiences with the rest of the world for win-win development and common prosperity." He noted that "there is also an increasing consensus that science and innovation and international scientific cooperation play a more important role in the Belt and Road development", and that "science and innovation not only holds the promise of solutions to a lot of the complex common scientific challenges in the development of the Belt and Road, but can be of significant value to the upgrade of the capacity and quality of the connectedness and cooperation between China and the countries along the Belt and Road regions in policy, infrastructure, transportation, trade and assets, and people to people dimensions—all the key aspects of emphasis in the development."

CAS President Bai Chunli delivers speech at the First International Science Forum of National Scientific Organizations on the Belt and Road Initiative.(Image by CaS)

Bai urged science and research organizations, particularly national ones, to play a leading role: "scientific organizations and scientists and experts from diverse backgrounds should enhance their efforts to develop communities of common interests, responsibility and goals, and to provide a strong scientific basis for the Belt and Road construction." He expressed the need to move forward in the spirit of the Belt and Road, embodying "openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit and joint development."

Bai also addressed the closing ceremony of the forum, "First, we now all have a better understanding of the significance and importance of the Belt and Road Initiative advocated by China in generating benefits and shared prosperity for the countries along the Belt and Road regions and far beyond. I think our international colleagues particularly have this feeling. The Belt and Road vision, though a proposal by China, aims to promote shared development and common prosperity with the partner countries."

He added that "we have further enhanced our consensus on the important basic, strategic and leading role that science, technology and innovation play and should play in understanding and providing solutions to diverse complex and common challenges in the Belt and Road development. We have also confirmed that we scientific communities should focus on the major, pressing scientific challenges and try to mobilize both the public and private sectors to jointly address diverse development challenges."

He went on to mention the forum's unanimous decision to issue the Beijing Declaration so that the voice of science could be heard far and wide .

He noted that there will be a long-term effective Belt and Road cooperation mechanism to facilitate and help organize major cooperation programs and activities in R&D, strategic advice, policy and capacity buildings for common benefit, and that the forum will be held every two years to carry matters forward. He confirmed the establishment of the Alliance of International Scientists for the Belt and Road, and assured the forum that the alliance's work would not be allowed to become a "mechanism without much substance", but will offer "pragmatic and concrete programs and actions". He offered a pledge in concluding his remarks: "Let us all, whether from developed or developing regions, work hand in hand to make a better world and future with science, technology and innovation."

Source: english.cas.cn