values, and responsibilities, and sharing the benefits of development. The Belt and Road Initiative calls for mutual support and assistance and is informed by equality, cultural affinity, and empathy. It upholds the principles of seeking common ground while reserving differences, inclusiveness, mutual understanding, communication and dialogue, and interactions on an equal footing. We should regard the development of other countries as our own opportunity and promote the convergence of China's development opportunities with those of its B&R partners and other countries in the wider world, so as to ensure that our development benefits both sides of cooperation and all relevant parties. During its four decades of reform and opening up, China has accumulated a wealth of experience that can be used by other countries. It has no desire to export its ideology and no intention to impose its development model on other countries. It is willing to share its experience with other countries and create a bright future together with its B&R partners under the B&R framework.

III. Prospects

Today's world is in a stage of major developments, transformation and adjustment. Peace, development and cooperation remain the themes of the times. Looking into the future, in pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative, China will face many problems and challenges, as well as unprecedented opportunities and prospects for development. This is an initiative that involves many parties and requires concerted efforts. This is an initiative that decides the future and requires unremitting efforts. This is an initiative that benefits humanity and requires careful nurture. We believe that with the passing of time and the synergy of all parties, Belt and Road cooperation will definitely become deep and concrete, steady and extensive. The Belt and Road will become a road of peace, prosperity, opening up, green development, innovation, connected civilizations, and clean government. It will make economic globalization become more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all.

1. A road of peace

The ancient Silk Road thrived in times of peace and declined in times of war. Without a peaceful and stable environment, it would be impossible to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative aims to build a new model of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and forge partnerships through dialogue rather than confrontation and friendship rather than alliance. All countries should respect each other's sovereignty, dignity, territorial integrity, development path, social systems, and core interests, and accommodate each other's major concerns.

Peace and security are the prerequisite and guarantee for building the Belt and Road. All countries should foster a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and ensure that a security environment is built by all and for all. All countries should resolve conflicts through political means, and promote mediation in the spirit of justice and fairness. We should intensify counterterrorism efforts by addressing both the symptoms and root causes, and by eliminating poverty, backwardness and social injustice. All countries should resolutely reject the Cold War mentality, zero-sum game and power politics, and oppose terrorism, separatism and extremism. All countries should offer mutual support on major issues concerning core interests such as national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security and stability. All countries should settle disputes through dialogue, resolve differences through discussion, enhance cooperation and mutual trust, and reduce mutual misgivings. All countries need to foster in-depth cooperation in ensuring cyber security, fighting transnational crimes and drug trafficking, combating terrorism, separatism and extremism, and enhancing joint law enforcement and public security. These measures will help create a favorable environment for promoting regional economic development and improving the wellbeing of the people.

China is a staunch force in safeguarding regional and world peace and promoting common development. China is committed to peaceful development and an independent foreign policy of peace. We respect the development paths and domestic and foreign policies pursued independently by the people of every country. China will never interfere in the internal affairs of any country, never impose its own will on any country, and never place its own interests above the interests of any country. To ensure the smooth implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, China will work together with all other countries involved to establish a dispute settlement mechanism, a security risk early-warning and monitoring mechanism, and an emergency response mechanism. In any case of dispute, all parties involved can discuss their interests and concerns through dialogue rather than engage in confrontation. Such dialogue will foster a positive development environment for Belt and Road cooperation, and help all participating countries to build a harmonious world where they respect each other's core interests and settle disputes by peaceful means.

2. A road of prosperity

Development holds the master key to solving all problems. In pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative, we should focus on the fundamental issue of development, release the growth potential of participating countries, and achieve economic integration and coordinated development to the benefit of all participants. The Belt and Road Initiative complies with the trend toward multipolarity, economic globalization, cultural diversity, and IT application, and upholds the global free trade system and an open world economy.

B&R countries have complementary strengths in market size and resources, showing great potential and broad prospects for cooperation. Fully attending to all parties' interests and concerns, B&R countries should build consensus and transform consensus into actions. By strengthening the connectivity of our development strategies, plans, platforms and projects, we will achieve more tangible results and leverage our comparative strengths in the interest of our common prosperity and development.

Belt and Road cooperation will continue to prioritize connectivity, focusing on key passageways, points, and projects. China will advance cooperation with other participating countries in the fields of roads, railways, ports, aviation, aerospace, oil and gas pipelines, power supply, and network communications, to achieve land, maritime, air and cyberspace connectivity. China will build a Belt and Road space information corridor together with other B&R countries.