PRESS RELEASE
China To Hold Summit of Silk Road Countries
Dec. 23, 2016 (EIRNS)—Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in and interview with People’s Daily released today, said that over the next year, China will
"forge ahead and prepare for the two major home-field diplomatic events in the coming year, namely the international cooperation summit forum on the ‘Belt and Road’
initiative and the 9th BRICS Summit."
The BRICS Summit will be held in Xiamen (formerly Amoy, two islands across from Taiwan) in September.
The Belt and Road Summit will also be in September, in Hong Kong. The inaugural Belt and Road Summit, held in Hong Kong last May, was attended by 2,400 government officials, business leaders, and institutional representatives from the countries engaged in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Wang Yi noted in his press conference, as reported by People’s Daily, that China is
"advancing a major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, and has become a stabilizer of world peace ... by holding a big picture in mind among the international turmoil, seeking development amid the world economic transformation and opening a new chapter in diplomacy. A more mature China has approached the center of international stage, becoming the stabilizer that injects positive energy in global turmoil. The international governance system has entered a key stage of transformation. Because the global balance of powers is witnessing historical changes, a reform on global governance system will be inevitable. Against such backdrop, China took initiatives to push forward a more fair and reasonable global political and economic system by contributing Chinese solutions on global governance."
He referenced the G20 Hangzhou Summit and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting held in Lima, Peru in November, where President Xi Jinping brought China’s increasingly constructive voice to world affairs.
Wang Yi noted the telephone conversation between President Xi and President-elect Donald Trump, "sending out a message about the smooth transition of China-U.S. relationship in the future." Wang said that "the complicated China-U.S. ties would definitely encounter uncertainties, but they will not hinder the development direction as a whole."
He made special note of the improved relations with the Philippines, where
"the newly-elected Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte changed the previous confrontational attitudes towards China and took the initiative to improve bilateral relations," i
mportantly adding that the
"transformed bilateral relationship has not only dispelled the dark could shrouding the two countries, but also cleared the way for deepening China-ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] cooperation,"
while also putting the South China Sea issues
"back on right track of dialogue and consultations among parties directly concerned, which safeguarded national sovereignty, dignity and regional stability."
