On June 2, 2023, a closed-door seminar titled “China Forum · Dialogue between China and Central Asia” was held in a hybrid online/offline format. Under the theme “Ten Years of the Belt and Road Initiative: Listening, Understanding and Working Together,” the event convened experts and scholars from China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to discuss media collaboration and regional economic cooperation in the BRI framework.

The BRI has boosted interconnectivity, economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and regional development in countries along the Belt and Road, said Zhang Lirong, secretary general of China Forum, Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University, who was also the moderator of the meeting. Think tanks and media can play an important role in creating a positive public communication atmosphere, which is a key driver for the implementation of the initiative, he said.

The seminar explored two topics: “International and Central Asian Public Opinion on the Belt and Road Initiative: Development and Reflections” and “Media and Regional Economic Cooperation in the Framework of the Belt and Road Initiative: Mutual Promotion and Development.” The participants affirmed the positive role of the BRI in promoting the economic cooperation and connectivity between China and Central Asia.

In his concluding remarks, Da Wei, vice chair of China Forum and director of CISS, pointed out the significance of “connectivity” in the relationship between China and Central Asia: through infrastructure connectivity, the two sides now enjoy greater interconnection in their policies, facilities, trade, capital and societies. Playing an important role in this process, China Forum is committed to telling China’s story.