BEIJING, Sept. 20 (INP): Journalists from Pakistan and 125 other countries pledged to promote President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by strengthening communication network and mutual news exchanges at bilateral and regional level. As many as 460 media personnel, while participating in the Media Corporation Forum expressed their solidarity with China for carrying forward the BRI. The Forum on Belt and Road hosted by China’s People’s Daily newspaper held in Dunhuang, Those who addressed the forum included Chinese government, political, business and media leaders as well as media executives from Africa, Asia, Russia, Europe and Mexico. Zhang Ping, Vice Chairman, Standing Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress, NPC, in his speech said the Belt and Road Initiative has since gained international acknowledgement and is now a concrete plan. Referring to the Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road, he said it has since four years become the largest media gathering in the world. Zhang Ping said the many cooperation deals reached ever since have enhanced communication and exchanges between the world’s media. Yang Zhenwou, President of People’s Daily, noted that the media forum has successfully held for four years, drawing the most representative global attendance. He said the forum has enhanced understanding and people-to-people exchanges amongst media professionals as 23 MOUs have been signed over the years with various foreign media. Meanwhile, the People’s Daily, the largest newspaper group in China announced the launch of an international studies center at the 2017 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road in Dunhuang, northwestern China’s Gansu province. The center welcomed a total of 14 experts on international studies as the first batch of foreign expert committee members. The experts come from 12 countries, including the US, the UK, Russia, Japan and Australia. Addressing the launching ceremony, Lu Xinning, deputy editor-in-chief of the People’s Daily, said that the launch of the center carries long-term vision of People’s Daily and the center would conduct in-depth analysis and policy studies on major international events and China-related topics concerning its politics, economy, security and strategic interests. INP/J/AH