BEIJING, October 18. /TASS/. The Chinese authorities are going to emphasize ecological development the next time they promote projects for the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
"This will be a new stage in which the 'green' Silk Road will play a key role," he emphasized at a press conference following the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. "We will make ecological development a bright banner of the Belt and Road."
Wang Yi specified that Beijing will strive to implement environmentally friendly international cooperation projects in infrastructure construction, energy, finance, investment, and transportation.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a concept proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. Its goal is to intensify international trade and investment projects involving a large number of nations along with the use of Chinese and foreign capital. Over 150 countries and 30 international organizations have already joined the initiative.
The Third Belt and Road Forum runs from October 17-18 in Beijing, and brings together over 4,000 people from over 140 countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin is the forum’s chief guest.