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By APD writer Hu Yahui
The Belt and Road (BR) Infrastructure Development Index (2019) remains at a relatively high level despite a slight three-point decline from last year, according to a newly-released report.
The index, a key indicator of the prospects of BR economies' infrastructure sector, was released at the opening ceremony of the 10th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (IIICF) in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Thursday.
, said the latest index “indicates good prospects in the next two to three years for infrastructure development in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Jointly organized by the CICA and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, the IIICF will last two days, under the theme of “Promoting Quality and Sustainable Development of International Infrastructure”.
Other honored guests addressing at the opening ceremony included Chui Sai On, chief executive of the Macao SAR, Wang Bingnan, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister, and Vincent Mwale，Zambia’s Local Government Minister.
On behalf of the SAR government, Chui said the key to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation is connectivity, stressing that the infrastructure is the cornerstone of connectivity .
Wang said the BRI is bringing more infrastructure projects to developing countries.
“Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese enterprises are actively carrying out international infrastructure cooperation, participating in the economic construction of host countries, and actively improving their infrastructure conditions and benefiting local people,” he said.
Vincent Mwale，Zambia’s Local Government Minister, noted that Zambia is looking
forward to strengthening infrastructure construction to promote economic and trade development.
“It is always a big challenge for developing countries, so the cooperation between developing countries and China in this field is very important”, he stressed.
In addition, the IIICF Steering Committee held the foundation ceremony at the forum. Sun Tong, the general director of Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong Macao Affairs of China’s Ministry of Commerce, announced that Wang Bingnan and Liang Weite, the director of the Macao Economic and Financial Department will co-chair the committee. The committee will support the IIICF to enhance infrastructure cooperation, build an interconnected exchange platform, and support Macao to better participate in the Belt and Road cooperation.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
