SHANGHAI, November 5 (INP): Belt and Road’s initiative (BRI) will remain China’s top priority in promoting higher-level opening-up at all levels, in the years to come.

This announcement was made by President Xi Jiping while delivering a speech here at the opening ceremony of the second China International Import Expo in Shanghai (CIIE) that is being attended by the large number of business executives and traders from across the World including Pakistan.

This BRI is highly significant for the World as a whole and for Pakistan particularly in the context of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that is its pilot and major project.

As per President Xi’s pledge, according to China Economic Net, China will adopt five measures to promote higher-level opening up, continue to expand market opening up, continue to improve the framework of opening up, continue to optimize business environment, continue to deepen multilateral and bilateral cooperation continue to jointly build the Belt and Road.

President Xi said he believes that China, bound to have even brighter economic development prospects, will provide other countries with more opportunities in terms of market, investment and growth.

Meanwhile, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet here last night to welcome distinguished guests. in his address on the occasion, he said the CIIE is designed to trade goods and services, exchange culture and ideas, welcome visitors from across the globe, benefit the whole world and respond to the aspirations of people from various countries to live a better life.

China has made remarkable achievements over the past 70 years since the founding of New China, especially during the country's 40-strong years of reform and opening up. "From the course of China's development, we realize that China will do well only when the world does well, and vice versa," Xi said.

In a short time, the CIIE started from scratch and quickly attracted wide participation of countries and enterprises from all over the world, said Xi, noting that it has become a major initiative in the history of global trade and an important platform for international cooperation in the new era.

By holding the CIIE and proactively expanding imports, China is taking the initiative to pursue a new round of high-level opening up, deepen international cooperation in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative and jointly foster an open global economy, Xi noted.

He expressed his hope that various countries can enhance cooperation and promote the development of the world economy.

The second CIIE is to continue till November 10. Pakistan has set a number of stalls at the expo, to showcase the country’s variety of products to attract the visitors.

INP/JAVED