CHINA-LEADERSHIP: CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT BOAO FORUM
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered the keynote speech at the Boao Forum for Asia in Beijing on April 19. This year’s theme for the Boao Forum was 'Join hands to advance Belt and Road (BRI) cooperation'. Xinhua quoted Xi Jinping as saying “[T]he [BRI] is a public road open to all, not a private path owned by one single party” and “All interested countries are welcome aboard to take part in the cooperation and share in its benefits.” He listed its benefits as including: Public health cooperation; Infrastructure connectivity; and Shared green development. Xi Jinping also highlighted that the BRI had possibilities for poverty alleviation and cited a World Bank report suggesting "that by 2030, Belt and Road projects could help lift 7.6 million people from extreme poverty and 32 million people from moderate poverty across the world.”
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