The Belt and Road Development Forum was held on Sept 9 in Xiamen, Fujian province, gathering government officials from home and abroad, leaders of international organizations, representatives of business associations, experts, scholars, as well as entrepreneurs to discuss relevant issues.

Organized by the China Association for International Economic Cooperation (CAFIEC) under the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the forum was themed around "deepening practical cooperation and promoting high-quality development."

Cui Mingmo, president of CAFIEC, said in his speech that remarkable achievements have been made since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed in 2013, which has become a global consensus to achieve mutual benefits and common development.

Chen Jian, former vice minister of commerce, noted that in the face of the global economic downturn, countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative have maintained rapid economic growth, as well as have achieved rapid development in infrastructure, e-commerce, information communication, and other fields.

Countries and regions involved in the initiative should lay out the industrial chain and value chain in a scientific and rational way, focusing not only on individual projects, but also on industrial development, Chen said.

More importantly, they should strengthen cooperation in science and technology, as well as properly handle the relationship between the globalization of science and technology with the protection of intellectual property rights, Chen added.

Ethiopian ambassador to China Teshome Toga Chanaka said that since the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, great progress and changes have been brought to countries and regions involved in it, providing a strong boost to global investment and trade.

Liu Zhengming, president of the Silk Road Fund, said that the achievements of China's economic development have provided strong momentum and potential for high-quality development of BRI countries and regions.

He noted that lessons should be learned from the high pollution caused by inefficient and extensive expansion of some industries in the past, and that governments involved in the BRI should focus on green development, as well as jointly build high-quality infrastructure construction.