China's Xi rejects 'bloc confrontation' as begins BRI forum

China's Xi rejects 'bloc confrontation' as begins BRI forum
By Oliver Hotham with Luna Lin
Beijing (AFP) Oct 18, 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country rejected "economic coercion" and "bloc confrontation" Wednesday, at the opening ceremony of a forum of international delegates to the Belt and Road forum in Beijing.

Beijing this week hosts representatives of 130 countries for a forum on the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi's vast trade and infrastructure project.

At the top of the guest list is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who began holding talks with Xi on the sidelines of the forum, with the war raging between Israel and Palestinian militant organisation Hamas looming large.

Putin is on his first trip to a major global power since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine threw his regime into international isolation.

And with the multilateral summit overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war, Xi opened the forum with a speech promising Beijing would not engage in "ideological confrontation, geopolitical games or bloc confrontation".

"We oppose unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, decoupling and delinking," Xi told delegates.

"Viewing the development of others as a threat and economic interdependence as a risk will not make one's own life any better or one's own development any faster," he said.

Instead, Xi said, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) would seek to "inject new impetus into the global economy".

"The BRI aims to enhance policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity," he said.

"We deeply believe that only when there is win-win cooperation can things get done, and get done well," he added.

"China is willing to deepen cooperation with Belt and Road partners... and work unremittingly to realise the modernisation of every country in the world."

"Jointly building the Belt and Road originated in China, but its achievements and opportunities belong to the world," he said.

The Russian president then took to the stage, saying the BRI initiative was an unexpected "success story".

"Given the global dimensions of the initiative the Chinese leader launched a decade ago, frankly, one can hardly expect to make it work," Putin said in his address to delegates.

"Our Chinese friends are making it work. We are glad to see this success story as it means a lot to many of us."

Xi welcomed the Russian leader to Beijing on Tuesday, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries.

They also took part in a group photo with other leaders attending the summit.

At an official banquet, Xi delivered a toast in which he alluded to recent geopolitical conflicts, but added that "the historical (trend) of peace" was "unstoppable".

The United States has asked China to use its influence to help de-escalate the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has seen more than a million people in the blockaded Gaza Strip flee the relentless bombardment that Israel launched in retaliation for the attack.

China brokered an entente between key Hamas backer Iran and its regional foe Saudi Arabia earlier this year, and will send its Middle East envoy Zhai Jun to the volatile region this week.

No details have been given about where or when exactly Zhai would travel, though China's state broadcaster CCTV has said he will push for a ceasefire and peace talks.

Russia, which has traditionally maintained good relations with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, has called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the conflict.