New Century Silk Road Economic Forum kicks off  

中新社主办"新世纪丝绸之路经济论坛" 丝路华媒万里行启动

智慧结晶纷至沓来，思想火花精彩绽放，中国新闻社23日在福建泉州举行“新世纪丝绸之路经济论坛”，同时启动“丝绸之路华媒万里行”活动。2013年9月，中国领导人提出共同建设“丝绸之路经济带”和21世纪“海上丝绸之路”的合作倡议，中新社此次举行“新世纪丝绸之路经济论坛”和“丝绸之路华媒万里行”，正是为了面向全球介绍陆海两条丝绸之路的重要意义。 [查看全文]

Quanzhou (CNS) -- Hosted by China News Service (CNS), the New Century Silk Road Economic Forum kicked off Sunday in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian province.

A campaign called "Chinese Media Exploring Silk Road" was also launched on the same day.

The forum and campaign aimed to introduce the significance of reviving the two silk roads: one over land stretching to Central Asia and Europe, the other by sea linking with Southeast Asia.

Chinese leaders began promoting the creation of a "Silk Road economic belt" and the revival of the maritime Silk Road linking with ASEAN last September.

Some 200 delegates attended the forum, including overseas Chinese media from 20 countries, experts on the Silk Road, envoys from countries located along the roads, and local Chinese government officials and business representatives.

China is devoted to expanding maritime trade with countries along the Silk Road, said Zhang Wei, vice president of the China Council for Promotion of International Trade.

Wei Jianguo, vice chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchange, said the maritime Silk Road stretching to ASEAN, Africa and Eastern Europe covered 96 countries and regions, a great potential market for China to export goods.

Mr. Ong Chong Yi, Minister Counsellor at the Malaysian embassy, said the Malaysian government welcomed and encouraged investments from China. If Chinese corporations treated Malaysia as a trade and investment hub for the Silk Road region, they would be bound to win a larger market, he added.

The Silk Road's relationship to China's economy and economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region was also discussed at the forum.