On October 18, 2023, as the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) came to a conclusion, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a press conference for Chinese and foreign media at the press center of the Forum, introducing the important outcomes of the Forum and answering questions.

Wang Yi said the defining feature of this Forum is that it is action-oriented, efficient, and pragmatic. To advance Belt and Road cooperation, all parties need to build consensus for collaboration and, more importantly, take concrete actions. President Xi Jinping announced in his keynote speech eight major steps China will take to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. These include steps to build a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network, promote green development, and advance scientific and technological innovation. They also include specific projects to implement practical cooperation, support people-to-people exchanges, and institution-building for Belt and Road cooperation.

During this BRF, 458 outcomes have been reached, far exceeding the number of the last Forum. They include important cooperation initiatives and institutional arrangements such as the Beijing Initiative for Deepening Cooperation on Connectivity, the Beijing Initiative for Belt and Road Green Development, the Beijing Initiative on the Belt and Road International Digital Economy Cooperation, the Green Investment and Finance Partnership, and High-Level Principles on Belt and Road Integrity Building. They also include specific targets including providing 100,000 training opportunities on green development for partner countries by 2030 and increasing the number of joint laboratories to 100. Commercial agreements worth 97.2 billion U.S. dollars have been concluded at the CEO Conference, which will help generate jobs and growth in relevant countries. The Forum also decided to establish a BRF secretariat to facilitate institution-building and project implementation.

These tangible cooperation outcomes are a vote of support and confidence in the Belt and Road Initiative by participating parties. Belt and Road cooperation is not about high-sounding rhetoric but about concrete action. It will certainly provide sustained impetus for global economic growth and common development across the world.