BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping said Sunday the Belt and Road should be built into a road for peace, as the pursuit of the initiative requires a peaceful and stable environment.

"The ancient silk routes thrived in times of peace, but lost vigor in times of war. The pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative requires a peaceful and stable environment," said Xi while delivering a keynote speech at the opening of the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.

"We should foster a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation; and we should forge partnerships of dialogue with no confrontation and of friendship rather than alliance," he said.

All countries should respect each other's sovereignty, dignity and territorial integrity, each other's development paths and social systems, and each other's core interests and major concerns, said Xi.

"Some regions along the ancient Silk Road used to be a land of milk and honey. Yet today, these places are often associated with conflict, turbulence, crisis and challenge. Such state of affairs should not be allowed to continue," said Xi.

He called for fostering the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and creating a security environment built and shared by all.

Xi also urged the Belt and Road to be built into a road of prosperity.

"In pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative, we should focus on the fundamental issue of development, release the growth potential of various countries and achieve economic integration and interconnected development and deliver benefits to all," he said.

He said, "We should establish a stable and sustainable financial safeguard system that keeps risks under control, create new models of investment and financing, encourage greater cooperation between government and private capital and build a diversified financing system and a multi-tiered capital market."

Stressing infrastructure connectivity, Xi called for promoting land, maritime, air and cyberspace connectivity, focusing on key passageways, cities and projects, and connecting networks of highways, railways and sea ports.

President Xi proclaims Silk Road spirit

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday proclaimed the Silk Road spirit, saying it has become a great heritage of human civilization.

Spanning thousands of miles and years, the ancient silk routes embody the spirit of "peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit," he said.Full Story

Pursuit of Belt and Road Initiative "not to reinvent the wheel": Xi

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that the pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative is not meant to reinvent the wheel.

"Rather, it aims to complement the development strategies of countries involved by leveraging their comparative strengths," Xi said in a keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.Full Story

Xi says China involved in major Belt and Road connectivity projects

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China has engaged in the construction of several major projects to improve infrastructure connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday.

China, in cooperation with relevant countries, has accelerated the building of Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, China-Laos railway, Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway and Hungary-Serbia railway, and upgraded Gwadar and Piraeus ports, Xi said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.Full Story

China to contribute additional 100 billion RMB to Silk Road Fund

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China will contribute an additional 100 billion yuan (about 14.5 billion U.S. dollars) to the Silk Road Fund, President Xi Jinping said Sunday.

Xi made the announcement at the opening ceremony of the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.Full Story

Pursuit of Belt and Road not intends to form small group: Xi

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that in pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative, China has no intention to form a small group detrimental to stability.

"What we hope to create is a big family of harmonious co-existence," Xi said when delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.Full Story

Xi urges anti-corruption cooperation in Belt and Road development

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday urged strengthening international counter-corruption cooperation so that the Belt and Road will be a road with high ethical standards.

Xi made the remarks in a keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.Full Story

Xi says Belt and Road open to nations beyond Asia, Europe, Africa

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday the Belt and Road Initiative focuses on the Asian, European and African countries, but is also open to all other countries.

"All countries, from either Asia, Europe, Africa or the Americas, can be international cooperation partners of the Belt and Road Initiative," Xi said when delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.Full Story

China to set up liaison office for follow-up activities of BRF

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China will set up a liaison office for the follow-up activities of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, President Xi Jinping said Sunday at the opening ceremony of the forum.

China will put in place a Research Center for the Belt and Road Financial and Economic Development, the Facilitating Center for Building the Belt and Road, the Multilateral Development Financial Cooperation Center in cooperation with multilateral development banks, and an IMF-China Capacity Building Center.Full Story

China to host China International Import Expo starting 2018

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China will host the China International Import Expo starting from 2018, President Xi Jinping said Sunday.

Xi made the announcement at the opening ceremony of the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.Full Story

Chinese banks to lend 380 billion RMB to support Belt and Road cooperation

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese banks will set up special lending schemes worth a total of 380 billion yuan (about 55.1 billion U.S. dollars) to support Belt and Road cooperation, President Xi Jinping said Sunday.

Xi made the announcement at the opening ceremony of the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.Full Story

Belt and Road should be road of opening up: Xi

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday said the Belt and Road Initiative should be an open one that will achieve both economic growth and balanced development.

"We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy," Xi said while delivering a keynote speech at the opening of the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.Full Story