B&R ushers in new era for global cooperation

More than 30 scholars from universities and research institutes in China and abroad hailed economic achievements of the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative during a seminar at Northwest University on Aug. 26. Since its launch four years ago, more than 100 countries and international organizations have joined the B&R initiative, said Sun Jiuwen, vice-president of the Regional Science Association of China. B&R construction has promoted balanced regional development in China, and it has driven global economic growth by facilitating infrastructure cooperation and interconnectivity, Sun added. Bai Yongxiu, vice-chairman of the association, said it has strengthened cooperation on frontiers like artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and quantum computing while boosting the development of big data, cloud computing and smart cities. It has benefited a region that holds half of the world’s total population and accounts for 40 percent of global GDP.