On October 31, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao delivered a pre-recorded speech at the opening ceremony of the 6th Bridge for Cities Forum of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

Wang said that President Xi Jinping put forward the important Belt and Road Initiative in 2013 to promote the community of a shared future for mankind. In the past eight years, the BRI has transformed from a concept into actions, from big strokes to refined details, gaining considerable progress and receiving wide recognition and broad participation of the international community. This fully illustrates that prosperity, development, and win-win cooperation is the common wish and pursuit of people around the world.

Wang Wentao said that President Xi Jinping proposed a Global Development Initiative at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly last September, and repeated the need to build a global development community at the meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations. The Bridge for Cities Forum has built a bridge for the common development of all countries and is highly compatible with the concept and objectives of the Global Development Initiative. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with UNIDO and other parties, uphold openness, inclusiveness, and innovation, and adhere to the principle of consultation, contribution and shared benefits. Greater efforts are needed to promote trade and investment cooperation, deepen cooperation in green development and digital economy, practice true multilateralism, and achieve a more robust, green and healthy global development.

Wang stressed that the BRI cooperation pursues development, advocates win-win cooperation and brings hope. China hopes at this Forum, participants can have in-depth discussions on the resilience and recovery after the pandemic, share experiences and improve the sustainable development capacity of all countries.

The Bridge for Cities forum was set up by UNIDO in 2016 to build bridges of cooperation for cities along the routes of the BRI and promote green urban development. The theme of this year's forum focuses on how cities can make innovation and better respond to the challenges of covid-19 and achieve resilient recovery.