Newly-established Belt and Road Economic Information Partnership draws wide attention

The Belt and Road Economic Information Partnership (BREIP) co-founded by more than 30 institutions around the world is established in Beijing, capital of China, June 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Economic Information Partnership (BREIP), an economic information sharing platform established on Thursday, lays a solid foundation for the Belt and Road economic information cooperation and will empower the economic development of all parties and effectively boost the joint-construction of the Belt and Road, said experts attending the inaugural meeting convened in Beijing.

Initiated by Xinhua News Agency, the BREIP's founding members include well-known news agencies, information service providers, research institutions, chambers of commerce and associations from more than 20 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Oceania.

A COOPERATION PLATFORM

The exchange and sharing of information are an important foundation of connectivity, which is vital to advancing the Belt and Road cooperation, said Cai Mingzhao, president of Xinhua News Agency, when addressing the inaugural meeting of the BREIP.

The establishment of the BREIP lays a solid foundation for the Belt and Road economic information cooperation, and Xinhua News Agency, as an initiator, will actively fulfill its responsibilities and make contributions to the building of the partnership, he added.

Member institutions of the BREIP will establish daily cooperation mechanisms such as a congress of the partnership, a liaison office and an economic information sharing platform and conduct various bilateral and multilateral cooperation among members, according to Cai.

Alfred Schipke, IMF Senior Resident Representative for China, said that amid the BRI's fast-growing number of partners, the effective sharing of information will be more and more important and the BREIP could be a key platform.

FACILITATING INTERCONNECTIVITY

Raphael Bozzolan Juan, Director of Brazil CMA News Agency said that the importance of news agencies as promoters of economic and trade relations grows when evaluating the dimension of business between China and Latin America.

The priority is to ensure that there is high-quality information available on a wide range of platforms, said Juan.

Marat Abulkhatin, First Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tass Russian News Agency, noted that the BRI is not only a bridge of trade but also a bridge of friendship and new opportunities for economic growth of related countries.

For media, it is important to actively seek for new points to broaden cooperation, Abulkhatin added.

WIN-WIN RESULTS

"When Zespri first entered the Chinese market, our sales in the country accounted for less than two percent of the total global sales volume," said Paul Jones, deputy chairman of the board of Zespri International Ltd., a New Zealand fruit seller.

Last year, however, the figure accounted for over 20 percent of its total sales volume, and the company is predicting a double-digit growth.

"Zespri is here for the long haul and we want to grow our relationships, investment, innovative new products and our market here," Jones added.

The founding of the BREIP is conducive to forming a global economic information friend circle which will help to promote interconnectivity and helps the businesses and institutions of Belt and Road countries seek investment and trade chances for win-win cooperation, Zhang Yipeng, vice president of Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd.