BEIJING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak joined 20 over other world leaders today for the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) at the China National Convention Centre.
The opening ceremony was by Chinese president Xi Jinping, who conceptualised the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013.
The forum, with the theme Cooperation for Common Prosperity, is the highest-level dialogue since the vision of OBOR was first shared by Xi.
Xi, in his keynote address, gave a historical summary of the establishment of ancient Silk Roads which helped open windows of friendly exchange.
"These routes enabled the people to interact with each other with mutual respect in the pursuit of prosperity."
As history was the best teacher, Xi underscored the importance of embarking on a path of peace, harmony, friendship and a better future.
With Najib at the forum were the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to China Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, Second International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The initiative aims to integrate the economies of Europe, Asia and Africa through an unprecedentedly powerful network of transport and communications infrastructure.
OBOR has won support from over 100 countries, and international organisations, with nearly 50 cooperation agreements signed between governments on joint construction of the route.
Beside 29 heads of state and government, BRF is also attended by some 80 leaders of international organisations.
Beside Najib, other leaders attending are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
Also present are the United Nations secretary-general, and presidents of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
After the opening ceremony, there will be high-level plenary sessions, as well as six parallel thematic meetings based on Connectivity of Development Policies and Strategies; Infrastructure Connectivity; Trade Connectivity; Financial Connectivity; People-to-People Connectivity; and Think Tank Exchanges.
The Malaysian delegation will take part in the sessions.
Later tonight, the prime minister and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor will attend a welcome dinner hosted by Xi at the Great Hall of the People, and enjoy a cultural performance at the National Center for the Performing Arts.
Tomorrow, a Leaders' Roundtable will be held at the Yanqi Lake International Convention Centre in the northern suburb of Beijing.
Najib will take part and share his views in some of the sessions.
Under the OBOR initiative are the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
Reaching from east to west, the Silk Road Economic Belt will extend to Europe through Central Asia and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road will link sea lanes to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Retracing the ancient silk and spice trade routes, OBOR seeks to reopen the economic corridors and re-energise the commercialism that once drew principalities near and far to the Middle Kingdom.
If actualised, the OBOR initiative will become an integrated economic zone unprecedented in scale, with the potential to positively impact a third of the world's population.