Former Belgian Prime Minister: China's Initiative to Make Outstanding Contributions to the Global Agenda | China | Global

[Introduction] The former Prime Minister of Belgium, Yves Latham, recently visited the China Watch Think Tank and the China Daily New Media to jointly launch the "Connect · Global Politicians Interview" program, praising China's "the Belt and Road" initiative, the global development initiative, the global security initiative and the global civilization initiative as outstanding contributions to the global agenda, especially the release of the positive potential of the "the Belt and Road" partner countries. He stated that the global governance system urgently needs to be adjusted, and countries around the world should strengthen tangible and intangible connectivity. At the same time, attention should be paid to the rational use of funds to ensure the sustainability of investment projects.

Eve Letham:

I think these initiatives are very good and they are very suitable for the agenda of future global governance. We need to readjust and reset the global governance system. Over the past seventy or eighty years, the United Nations system has brought us many benefits and dividends. But the global governance system needs to be reset and rebalanced. We must consider the opinions of all parties.

I think these initiatives are excel And I think they fit very well into the agenda of the future of global governance We need to read just, we need to reset the global government The UN system has given us a lot of benefits and dividends over the last 70-- most 80 years But there's a need for reset, there's a need for rebalance We have to take into account all the views

I believe that the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and initiatives in the field of green development are outstanding contributions to the global agenda. After the United Nations General Assembly held this autumn, it is necessary for us to discuss these agendas well in the following year or even a few years. I hope this can guide us to once again strengthen the multilateral system, which has been severely damaged by the unilateral withdrawal of the United States at certain times, causing distrust among various groups of countries.

I think that the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, also in the field of green development, these are excellent contributions to the global agenda that we have to discuss in the upcoming year and a couple of years starting with UNGA in August And I would hope that this leads us to strength, again, the multilateral system that has benefited a lot from unilateral withdrawal by the US at certain moments raising distrust among blocs

Image Eve Letham:

Firstly, I believe that joint investment, which combines investment and capabilities between economies, is also a powerful policy tool for building peace. I firmly believe that economic cooperation, joint construction of infrastructure, and joint investment can also bring peace - not only better development and economic growth, but also peace, because through mutual trade and project cooperation, people can reduce their tendency to violence each other.

First of all, I think that co investing, bringing together investment and capacity between economies is also a very strong peace building policy tool I'm a strong believer that economic cooperation and common infrastructure, co investment brings also peace, not only better development, but also just peace, because people that trade, people that work together on projects, there will be more correlation to engage in conflict against each other

So back to your question, the "the Belt and Road" initiative, the "Global Gateway" plan in Europe, the US investment in improving infrastructure, and some measures taken by the Indian government are all moving in the same direction, that is, to better unleash the potential and connectivity potential of the economy. This is crucial. Currently, I believe that the European Union and its economy need to be open to the world and take collective action, just as humanity needs oxygen.

So come then to your question, the belt initiative, the Silk Road initiative, the BRI, and also the Europe's Global Gateway, also the American investment in improving infrastructure, which is very much needed, some initiatives take by the Indian government and so on. They all go in the same direction, which is to try to better unlock the potential of economics, The potential of connection interaction This is critical I think at this moment, for instance, the European Union and European economy needs openness and collectiveness to the world as a human being needs oxygen

It is crucial to enhance connectivity and improve infrastructure connectivity among economies. However, please note that what we should do is not only interconnectivity, but also ways to enhance interconnectivity, which should be more sustainable than ever before. This kind of interconnectivity may be virtual or tangible, allowing for real communication through roads, railways, and air, but it is important to strengthen sustainability in interconnectivity, transportation, and trade.

To improve the connection, to improve the infrastructure links between these economies is very important, but -- there's a big but -- we should do more than just interconnect We should also look into the way we increase the connection and that way should be more than ever sustainable, so could be virtual when possible, could be physical with real exchanges over roads and over railways and through the air when needed, but improving resources and improving sustainability of our connections, our mobility and our trade

Image Eve Letham:

Yes, I believe that in our current era, it is more important to share the burden rather than the dividends of progress. Of course, China's economy has made tremendous progress with a fast growth rate, and it is still continuing to grow. But in more mature economies such as the United States, Europe, and Japan in the West, we are in a critical stage of making economic development more sustainable. Compared to sharing the dividends of progress, it is more important to share the burden. Of course, people don't like burdens. They prefer to gain benefits rather than discussing how we should share the burden, such as addressing climate change challenges and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, I believe that it is crucial to achieve positive results and achieve a win-win cooperation.

Yeah, I think we are all alive in times where it is more about sharing burdens than sharing the dividends of progress China, of course, is still making an abnormal economic progress with high growth figures and is resuming growth now But in more material economics, like the West -- the US, Europe, some other countries all over the world, Japan We are at the stage where it is of utmost importance to render our economic development more sustainable And there it is more about sharing burden that shares the divide of progress And that's of course a less popular item People prefer seating benefits that discussions among each other how we should share the border of policies, for instance, that meets the challenges of climate change and reduces CO2 emissions So I think that good cooperation that creates real view on positive outcomes, win wins is critical

Eve Letham:

I would like to say that for Belgium, we have received a lot of investment from China long before the "the Belt and Road" initiative was put forward. I remember meeting with people from COSCO Group, and the connection between Zebruch and Antwerp ports and Chinese ports such as Shanghai is crucial for the economic development of Belgium. Huawei and other Chinese enterprises are very famous in Belgium, providing us with high-tech solutions, which even goes beyond the initial goal of the "the Belt and Road" initiative. Belgium also has a Liege Airport, which serves as Alibaba's distribution and scheduling platform. So, Belgium has established good connections with China, and many companies have close ties with Chinese companies, even conducting important business in China. For example, there is a company in my constituency called Bijiale, which is one of the earliest foreign-funded enterprises introduced in Suzhou. For example, Xi'an Yangsen is one of the earliest Sino foreign joint venture pharmaceutical companies introduced in China. Therefore, Belgium and China have a long-standing traditional cooperative relationship.

I would say that in terms of Belgium already before the BRI, we have a lot of Chinese investment I remember that I met the people from COSCO and for instance for the Belgian economy, the links between a port area, Antwerp, Zeebrugge to Shanghai, to the ports in China have been critical for the development Companies like Huawei and others are very well equipped in Belgium and provide us with high tech solutions It goes a little bit beyond what the intentions were of the BRI. We also have an airport of Liege that functions as a distribution and distribution platform for Alibaba So we are already having very good connections with China, also a lot of enterprises that were close together with China companies or have even very important presence here in China For instance, in my consistency we have a company called Picanol who was one of the first companies established in Suzhou We have the pharmaceutical company in Belgium that was among the first to be Janssen Pharmaceuticals for instance So we have a long tradition already of good connections with China

I believe that the the Belt and Road Initiative plays a more important role in countries with weak infrastructure development. China, together with leaders from Western and African countries, develops infrastructure and unleashes economic potential. There, it did produce good results, providing better services for the local people and making their lives more convenient. I recently went to Somalia and saw the construction of new railways there. I saw what these infrastructure have brought to people's daily lives, as well as the economic potential brought by these more complete transportation facilities.

I think that the BRI now today plays a more important role in countries that until now has a weak development of the infrastructure, where China joins forces with the West and with the leadership of countries in Africa to develop their infrastructure and to unlock economic potential There it really pays out in terms of better accessibility, better service to the people I was recently in Somalia and I could see, for instance, a new railway connection, what it brings to the people in their daily lives, and also the economic potential these better connections bringing

Image Eve Letham:

Yes, we must be careful about this. I believe that most economies around the world are leveraging the important role of leverage, so relevant monetary policies and adjustments should focus on this. The same is true of the "the Belt and Road" investment, which must be reasonable and properly consider the economic situation and return ability of each country to ensure that the situation of the country after the investment is better than that before the investment. I think in most cases - the vast majority of cases - this is indeed the case.

Yeah, we have to be careful for that I think that the most of the economies worldwide has built up quite an important legacy And so monetary policy and monetary adjustment should take that very well into account, including in terms of the BRI, there have always been to be a good reason, a good thinking over the payback capacity of the economy, of the country, and make sure that after the investment, the country is better off than before the investment But I think that in most of the cases, in a vast majority of the cases, this is reality

Of course, as Western countries, we have also invested in development aid, but it can be said that we have been defeated by reality, which means that many of our development aid has not brought the desired results to the relevant countries. Corruption, governance capacity, rational use of funds, and rational use of investment are key prerequisites. Therefore, we should be very careful in this regard to ensure that countries have the ability to repay when they sign contracts and bear certain debts. However, in most cases, it is indeed the case that investment and infrastructure have improved the economies of various countries.

Of course, we also as Western countries have been invested in development aid And it's fair to say let's be mixed by reality, which means that a lot of our development aid did not bring the counties concerned to the result we wanted There are issues like corruption, governance, good use of money, good use of investment that are key, conditionalities So we should be very careful in that field to make sure that when countries sign contracts and build up a certain amount of debt, they have the payback capacity But in most of all cases, that's reality And the investment and infrastructure actually improve their economic performance

Image producer: Wang Hao, Xing Zhigang

Producer: Zhang Shaowei

Two women were stabbed to death and reported to have committed a crime 4 days before the follow-up visit for schizophrenia. Suspect of a bloody murder case in a Hong Kong shopping mall appeared in court today. Male | Last Friday | Murder case

According to Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po, a bloody knife stabbing case occurred at Hollywood Square in Diamond Hill last Friday. The police arrested a 39 year old man on suspicion of stabbing two young women, one of whom was stabbed over 30 times. The suspect appeared in the Kwun Tong Magistrates Court this morning. The police at the Kwun Tong Magistrate's Court temporarily charged the suspect with two counts of murder last Sunday. The suspect appeared in court this morning at the Kwun Tong Magistrate's Court. Acting Chief Magistrate Zheng Jihang, after listening to the opinions of both the prosecution and defense, decided to postpone the hearing for two weeks until 9:30 am on June 19th, waiting for two psychiatric expert reports to be obtained. The defense did not object. Zheng Jihang approved the application, and the defendant needs to be temporarily detained at Xiaolan Mental Hospital. When the suspect appeared in court, he wore black framed glasses, a light gray shirt, and camouflage green shorts, and was able to answer the judge's questions normally. accordingly