4月27日，张平总领事应邀出席南加州香港协会举办的“一带一路”论坛并致辞。

　　张总领事介绍了自习近平主席提出“一带一路”倡议5年来，在中国与沿线各国和国际组织的共同努力下，“一带一路”倡议所取得的丰硕成果以及为世界经济做出的突出贡献。张总领事表示，“一带一路”倡议旨在通过促进经济要素自由流动、资源高效配置和市场深度融合，鼓励沿线国家对接发展战略，打造一个开放、包容、平衡、普惠的地区经济合作架构，实现更高水平、更加深入的合作，造福沿线各国人民。“一带一路”倡议是中国政府为促进经济全球化和构建人类命运共同体提出的发展方案，秉持共商、共建、共享原则，以政策沟通、设施联通、贸易畅通、资金融通、民心相通为合作重点，通过5年的探索实践，已获得国际社会积极响应和广泛支持。

　　张总领事表示，中国中央政府积极支持香港特别行政区参与“一带一路”建设。香港作为国际金融、贸易和航运中心，可以凭借“一国两制”的制度优势，在推进“一带一路”国际合作中发挥独特作用。粤港澳大湾区发展战略在带动区域经济社会发展的同时，也为“一带一路”建设提供了重要支撑。“一带一路”建设同样为美国商界提供了巨大机遇，吸引了众多美国企业参与或积极探索其中商机。加州州长布朗等美地方政府领导人也表达了希望积极参与“一带一路”建设的愿望，我们欢迎美方参与“一带一路”框架内合作。

　　张总领事指出，维护开放的全球经济格局和稳定的国际贸易秩序对推进“一带一路”合作至关重要。任何单边主义和贸易保护主义措施都将损害上述努力。保持健康稳定的中美关系对中美双方拓展“一带一路”框架内的合作也同样具有重要意义。希望中美双方共同努力，通过谈判寻找解决当前双方经贸争端的办法，确保中美关系沿着正确轨道不断向前发展。希望南加州香港商会的朋友们继续关心、支持中美关系，与当地工商界一起推动“一带一路”务实合作。总领馆将一如既往予以大力支持。

　　香港驻旧金山经贸办事处处长蒋志豪、香港贸易发展局驻洛杉矶代表卢逸峰、米尔肯研究院研究部主任黄华跃等分别就“一带一路”倡议及其为香港、美国带来的合作机遇发表讲话。近200名当地各界人士参加了当天活动。

       致辞全文：

       RespectedPresident Danton Mak,

       RespectedDirector Chang and Director Lo,

       Ladiesand gentlemen,

       Thankyou very much, President Mak, for your welcoming remarks and your kind invitation.It gives me great pleasure to join the members of Hong Kong Association ofSouthern California and friends of the local business community in this Forumto explore ways of promoting international cooperation under the Belt and RoadInitiative.

       Asyou know, the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by President Xi Jinping in2013. It is aimed at creating an open, inclusive and balanced regional economiccooperation architecture that benefits all by promoting orderly and free flowof economic factors, highly efficient allocation of resources and deepintegration of markets, and by encouraging the countries along the Belt andRoad to enhance synergy of development strategies and carry out broader andmore in-depth regional cooperation of higher standards. It is a concrete actiontaken by the Chinese government to push forward economic globalization and thebuilding of the community of shared future for mankind through commondevelopment.

       TheBelt and Road initiative upholds the principle of wide consultation, jointcontribution and shared benefits. It makes the policy coordination, facilitiesconnectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people to people bondas its five priority areas, with the purpose of forging a partnership forwin-win cooperation which is characterized by political mutual trust, economicintegration and cultural inclusiveness based on shared interests, shared goalsand shared responsibilities. It emphasizes on building an all-dimensional,multi-tiered cooperation platform where the key players include not onlygovernments, but also non-governmental organizations and private sector and itsoperation is market based. It focuses not only on infrastructure building, butalso on trade and investment facilitation, financial cooperation, cultural andpeople-to-people ties. The form of the cooperation can be bilateral ormultilateral.

       TheBelt and Road Initiative is not a geopolitical tool by China, as some peopleinterpreted, to create a so-called sphere of influence of its own, neither anexclusive and closed inner circle of certain countries, but an open andinclusive platform for pragmatic cooperation. It opens to all countries,regional economies, international organizations and development partners,despite their geographic location. We welcome the participation of the US.

       Overthe last five years since the Initiative was put forward, over 100 countriesand international organizations have voiced their support and interest inparticipating in this Initiative, and over 80 of them have signed cooperationagreements with China. Trade between China and countries along the Belt andRoad routes exceeded $4 trillion. Chinese investment in these countriesexceeded $60 billion. Last May, China hosted the first Belt and Road Summit Forumfor International Cooperation in which 1600 delegates from over 140 countriesand 80 international organizations participated and more than 270 concreteresults were achieved. The Belt and Road Initiative is gaining more and moresupport and is applauded as a road of peace and prosperity.

       Beingthe international financial, trade and transport center, Hong Kong has uniqueadvantages and strength under "One Country, Two Systems" tocontribute to the advancement of Belt and Road Initiative. The Chinese CentralGovernment supports Hong Kong's participation in the initiative. TheArrangement between the National Development and Reform Commission and theGovernment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for Advancing HongKong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiativesigned last year provides important guidelines for Hong Kong to engage in theBelt and Road cooperation. The Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau Greater Bay Areaserves as an important base to support the Belt and Road internationalcooperation and the Greater Bay Area development strategy injects strongimpetus to the economic and social development of Hong Kong as well as thewhole region.

       The Belt and Road Initiative also presents tremendous opportunities for the USbusiness community. While some American companies have already benefitedgreatly from this Initiative, many others are exploring the potentialopportunities. Quite a number of US local government leaders including GovernorBrown, have expressed interest in participating in the Belt and Roadcooperation. As both the US federal government and many local governments,including the Los Angeles city, have plans to upgrade infrastructurefacilities, we see great potential for China and US business communities toengage in cooperation within the Belt and Road framework.

       TheHong Kong business community in the United States has a unique role to play inthe Belt and Road cooperation. Many of its members have business operations inthe US and have extensive connection with many parts of the world. Theirknowledge and expertise on international business practices will enable them tosteer the cooperation projects towards the right direction and along the righttrack.

       Whilewe explore the business opportunities for the Belt and Road cooperation, weshould be mindful that to maintain an opened world economy and a soundinternational trade order is of vital importance to the Belt and Roadinternational cooperation. Any unilateral and trade protectionist measure willjeopardize these efforts. We also need to maintain a stable and healthyChina-US relationship to create an environment that is essential for ourbusiness communities to engage in Belt and Road cooperation. We should make agreat deal of efforts to ensure that China-US relationship stays on the righttrack.

       I hope friends of Hong Kong Association of Southern California will continue tosupport the China-US relations and work together with the local businesscommunity to explore more opportunities for cooperation under the Belt and Roadinitiative. As always, the Chinese Consulate General in LA will do what we canto support your endeavor.

       I wish the forum a great success!

       Thankyou!