Editor's note: President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Friday.
Here is a collection of comments from foreign ministers, delegates, and reporters attending the forum.
Grenada's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Labor Peter David. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
President Xi offered a vision of the Belt and Road Initiative that inspires confidence in us, especially as small island developing states.
Facing challenges such as global warming and lack of development financing, we in the Caribbean region welcome the opportunities presented by the initiative.
President Xi must be commended for his visionary leadership and his boldness in offering a new path for a brighter and shared future.
Hubert Seipel, a journalist from German TV channel ARD. [Photo by Guo Rong/chinadaily.com.cn]
China is going to open much more as it did before for foreign investment, and this is quite important for the whole initiative.
The Belt and Road Initiative is now running for a couple of years and has achieved success even in Europe, but it is not finished yet and it should be a win-win situation for China and Europe. China is a very big market and an important global player.
China is Germany's biggest trading partner, so I think there will be a good future for the two countries.
George Tzogopoulos, senior research fellow at the Centre International de Formation Européenne, from Greece. [Photo by Zhao Tingting/chinadaily.com.cn]
The Belt and Road Initiative has been a very successful integration project which is bringing China closer to the world. President Xi Jinping's speech today is outlining that more and more countries can participate, share prosperity, as well as win-win results.
I think that the future will be bright and that especially the West needs to better understand what this Belt and Road Initiative means and why this shared prosperity can be created and benefit people across the world.
Jaime Irachande Gouveia, coordinator of Belt and Road Initiative Research Center at University Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique. [Photo by Jin Dan/chinadaily.com.cn]
I think the Belt and Road Initiative is very good . Five pillars of the initiative are important. The most and best (part) of it, I think, is connectivity and inter-culture exchange, sustainable development agenda, and knowledge transfer.
China is the biggest market in the world. We have enough resources in our country. We want our product get access to the market and we also want to live in good infrastructure, such as roads, railways, schools, hospitals. I also hope knowledge of China come to our country. We have sea access, and good infrastructure can help our country and neighboring countries get access to the Maritime Silk Road.
China has become the second-largest investor of our country in the past 10 years. It's investing infrastructure, mining and agriculture. We have Confucius Institute, facilitate Chinese and Portuguese learning. The Belt and Road Initiative helps Mozambique boost its industrialization, technology and finance.
Mugabo Mubarak, journalist of Vision Group from Uganda. [Photo by Zhao Tingting/chinadaily.com.cn]
President Xi's speech was an assurance to Africa and the rest of the world that the Belt and Road Initiative is a helping hand try to help Africa get out of the problems of poor infrastructure. For me, I think it is very important. And African countries should clap hands for this assistance.
Improving the infrastructure, which is very key in reducing the cost of doing business in Africa and at the same time creating job opportunities, will help Africa in a few years.
Camara Moussa, journalist at Independent, a national weekly newspaper published in Papua New Guinea. [Photo by Song Jingyi/chinadaily.com.cn]
What really interests me is that President Xi talks about the fact that the initiative boosts the developments of countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.
He talks about the fact that different railways have been built. Some other pipelines have been also constructed. The Belt and Road Initiative has connected many different areas which are very important. We really need this kind of interconnection. So now countries will become closer due to the Belt and Road Initiative.
Frank-Jurgen Richter, founder and chairman of Horasis, a Swiss think tank committed to inspiring the future. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
President Xi invited the world to take part in the Belt and Road initiative, calling on free and inclusive trade, global cooperation in the spirit of peace and progress, and the exchange and enhancement of the cultural foundations of human mankind. His remarks were very well received by the attending heads of states and other distinguished delegates. He called on the world to give up on protectionism, nationalism and isolationism. Xi added that the B&R is building bridges to make the world a better place.
Khaled Moussa, a journalist of Oman from Shabiba newspaper. [Photo by Guo Rong/chinadaily.com.cn]
We heard from the Chinese president about the meaning and the importance of the initiative, which is cooperation and benefits for all.
A new law in China about foreign investment opens the door for businessmen from outside to come in. It shows that China not only announced the investment but at the same time it shows us how the procedures to continue to develop this initiative.
The initiative is important not only for China but for the world.
Seddiq Hussainy, a journalist from Afghanistan Times. [Photo by Zhao Tingting/chinadaily.com.cn]
President Xi's speech emphasized on broadening China's Belt and Road Initiative and creating a global image of this initiative, so that there will be more connectivity and more trust in this international intercontinental project.
I am from Afghanistan and we have a lot of opportunities for China's investments. China is trying to invest in our railway network, which is a very promising way to create a corridor to the Central Asia. Then Afghanistan can provide a very safe connection from China, Central Asia to the rest of the world.
Jose Picasso Salinas, chairman of the board of Volcan, a Peruvian mining company. [Photo by Xu Ziming/chinadaily.com.cn]
President Xi's speech was very impressive. He spoke on opening all the economy of the world and working against protectionism. He also said to make more efforts to give a better quality of Belt and Road Initiative to connect all the other countries. I'm very optimistic with the progress on the Belt and Road Initiative and I hope more countries will participate in the initiative.
Antonio Perucci Alves (center), Future Holding Director from Portugal, poses for a photo with his colleagues at the forum. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
President Xi's speech deeply motivated us and touched our heart. I have the same feeling about world development. The speech really firms our belief in a more interconnected and mutually developed world. China's policy of persisting in reform and opening up is an inspiring policy to the world. It will build so many bridges of mutual development for the belt and road region. China is going to maintain a friendly and peaceful development attitude, and it will help the Belt & Road countries to get investment with high quality. Also, President Xi really showed us a new model of development and investment, focusing on sustainable development, green economy, which helps the world to become a better place to live.