The Belt and Road Experience Exchange Seminar on Ensuring and Improving People’s Livelihood – “The 2nd Jingshi Belt and Road Forum” sponsored by the National Development and Reform Commission and jointly organized by the China Institute of Education and Social Development, Beijing Normal University, and the Belt and Road School, Beijing Normal University was held on December 19 to 20, 2020.

Wang Shoujun, Vice President of Beijing Normal University and Dean of the Belt and Road School, gave the opening remarks at the forum. He said that “high standard” and “people-centered” are important principles for the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. “People-centered” seeks the development that benefits all people, and aims to bring a real sense of gain to people of different countries and to make concrete contributions to the local economy.

Zhang Boli, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered a speech via video. He pointed out that ensuring and improving people’s livelihood through the development of the Belt and Road in the post-pandemic era is a great and forward-looking topic. Making a post-pandemic plan while carrying out the current epidemic prevention and control, a plan to ensure that the world economic and social development can continue to move forward, and especially that people can return to normal lives as soon as possible, is a very important proposition.

Gan Zangchun, Vice President of the China Law Society, pointed out that the high-quality development of the Belt and Road needs to be based on international cooperation in the rule of law. Jiang Yaoping, the former Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, explained with abundant data about how the Belt and Road Initiative has been bringing benefits to people of different countries through win-win cooperation since it was implemented seven years ago.

The forum centered on “Improving People’s Livelihood Through the Common Development of the Belt and Road” and conducted in-depth discussions on education, poverty alleviation, medical and health care, elderly care, employment promotion, and other related topics.

Participants offered advice on the high-quality development of the Belt and Road in the post-pandemic era by sharing development experience, proposing approaches for improvement, and examining cooperation opportunities. Over 200 participants, including Wen Hua, Deputy Secretary of Zhuhai Municipal Government, and experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs from Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Xiamen University, China Agricultural University, relevant government departments, and other universities and research institutes, attended the forum.