Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $124 billion on Sunday for his ambitious new Silk Road plan to forge a path of peace, inclusiveness and free trade, and called for the abandonment of old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power games.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $124 billion on Sunday for his ambitious new Silk Road plan to forge a path of peace, inclusiveness and free trade, and called for the abandonment of old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power games.
China has touted what it formally calls the Belt and Road initiative as a new way to boost global development since Xi unveiled the plan in 2013, aiming to expand links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond underpinned by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.
China's most important diplomatic event of the year, the two-day summit offers Xi another chance to bolster China's global leadership ambitions as U.S. President Donald Trump promotes "America First" and questions existing global free trade initiatives like NAFTA.
"We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy," Xi told the opening of the summit.
Xi said the world must create conditions that promote open development and encourage the building of systems of "fair, reasonable and transparent global trade and investment rules".
"Trade is the important engine of economic development," Xi said.
He said the world must promote the multilateral trade system, the establishment of free trade regions, and the facilitation of free trade.
1. Belt and Road Forum
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Food sculptures are placed on the table ahead a welcome banquet for the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on May 14, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
2. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, his wife Peng Liyuan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine attend the welcoming banquet for the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on May 14, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
3. Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and his wife
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, his wife Peng Liyuan, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and his wife Emanuela Mauro attend the welcoming banquet for the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on May 14, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
4. Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his wife
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, his wife Peng Liyuan, Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his wife Juliana Awada attend the welcoming banquet for the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on May 14, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
5. Russian President Vladimir Putin
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, his wife Peng Liyuan and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend the welcoming banquet for the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on May 14, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
6. Guests and delegates
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other guests and delegates attend the group photo session at the welcoming banquet for the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on May 14, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
7. Chinese President Xi Jinping
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Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his speech during the welcoming banquet for the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
8. Chinese President Xi Jinping
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Chinese President Xi Jinping makes a toast during the welcoming banquet for the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2017. China touted on Sunday its new Silk Road as "a project of the century" at a summit highlighting its growing leadership on globalisation.
Image courtesy: AFP
9. Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his wife
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Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his wife Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif pose with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan during a welcome ceremony for leaders attending the Belt and Road Forum, in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
10. Chinese President Xi Jinping, his wife and Russian President Vladimir Putin
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, his wife Peng Liyuan and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for the welcoming banquet for the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China.
Image courtesy: Reuters
