A seminar focusing on unimpeded trade between countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative opens at Huaqiao University, Xiamen on Oct 22. [Photo/hqu.edu.cn]

A week-long seminar focusing on unimpeded trade between countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) kicked off at Huaqiao University, Xiamen on Oct 22. 

The program gathered 36 government officials, business insiders and experts from 12 BRI countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. 

Attendees will be treated to a variety of BRI-related lectures delivered by experts and scholars from renowned Chinese institutes, such as Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and University of International Business and Economics. 

They will also take part in roundtable discussions focusing on the opportunities and challenges posed by the BRI in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as digital-driven development and its future prospects. 

Attendees come from 12 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. [Photo/hqu.edu.cn]

Field visits to industrial parks and enterprises located in Xiamen and neighboring Quanzhou have also been scheduled to show the practical results the Chinese government has achieved in driving development through innovation and unlocking market vitality and social creativity. 

"We have a lot to learn from China. The seminar has deepened my knowledge of the BRI and China's efforts to improve infrastructure and loosen restrictions on trade and investment," said Premalal Atukorale, deputy mayor of Kotte city in Sri Lanka. 

The seminar was organized by the International Cooperation Center of China's National Development and Reform Commission and the Tanoto Foundation.