“2016 Silk Road Economic Belt Cities International Forum” was concluded in Yiwu of Zhejiang Province on November 14. As the representatives of the attendees, Bruno Maçães, Former Minister for Europe in the Portuguese Government, Hu Hao, Deputy Director of China Center for Contemporary World Studies of the International Department, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, anf Jiang Qingzhe, Secretary of Party Committee, University of International Business and Economics  announced the outcome documents including “Yiwu Initiative on the Belt and Road” , “Statement on Supporting Yiwu’s Economic and Trade Development”, and “City of Yiwu and 16 Chinese and Foreign Universities Joint Statement on Cultivation of International Talent” at the closing ceremony.

The outcome documents are as follow:

Yiwu Initiative on the “Belt and Road”

We, over 400 representatives from political, business and academic circles in 30 countries, met in Yiwu, China for 2016 Silk Road Economic Belt Cities International Forum themed at promoting interconnectivity and sharing trade prosperity. We agree with the consensus on global governance adopted by global leaders on G20 Hangzhou summit. We highly recognize China’s extraordinary contribution to the development of world economy and trade.

We engaged in deep discussions on various ways of seizing “Belt and Road” opportunities, so as to promote interconnectivity among relevant cities, improve trade and investment cooperation, expand cultural exchange, and further enhance the strategic role of Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight rail line.

In this context, we have reached following consensus:

1.We call on relevant parties to continue supporting multilateral trade system and oppose protectionism. This is the only way to boost global trade in the circumstance of global economic slowdown. It is of necessity to strengthen inter-city cooperation on cross-border e-commerce, and gradually promote balance of trade. We propose green and environment-friendly trade standards and enhance trade sustainability.

2.We call on relevant parties to promote infrastructure interconnectivity. We welcome effort to promote government communication on airports, rail crossings, bonded logistics centers, as well as finance for e-commerce logistics. We believe this will contribute to bringing about an extensive land port network for the Silk Road Economic Belt.

3.We call on relevant parties to further facilitate investment and production capacity cooperation. It is necessary to implement the G20 New Industrial Revolution Action Plan, establish transnational cooperation parks for high-tech enterprises and technology-oriented micro, small and medium enterprises, and co-build towns with featured industries. We call for co-actions by cities to facilitate finance for e-commerce logistics, trade financing, as well as international credit for micro, small and medium enterprises, so as to promote infrastructure investment and financing. And setting up "China 0 KM" platform for promoting the industrial cooperation.

4.We call for relevant parties to boost international cooperation on innovation and talent cultivation. We call for effort to set up platforms for the flow of talented people specializing in science, technology and innovation. We call for effort to jointly construct international colleges  and schools to foster talent. We welcome effort to plan for internationalized communities, medical organizations, and educational institutions.

We appreciate positive efforts by the organizers of this successful forum— Belt and Road Think Tank Cooperation Alliance, the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China (RDCY), and City of Yiwu. Participants of the forum have made Statement on Supporting Yiwu’s Economic and Trade Development, and City of Yiwu and 16 Chinese and Foreign Universities Joint Statement on Cultivation of International Talent.

Statement on Supporting Yiwu’s Economic and Trade Development

We, over 400 representatives from political, business and academic circles from 30 countries, met in Yiwu, China for 2016 Silk Road Economic Belt Cities International Forum themed at promoting interconnectivity and sharing trade prosperity.

In terms of supporting Yiwu’s economic and trade development and improve inter-city development, we have reached consensus as following:

1.We support Yiwu’s effort to build the world’s “capital of small commodities.” Yiwu has economic and trade ties with 219 countries and regions. Each year, more than 800,000 foreign business people purchase commodities in this city. We welcome Yiwu’s release of a series of policies aimed at boosting import trade. We are willing to participate in exhibitions such as China Yiwu International Commodities Fair, Yiwu Imported Commodities Fair, and World E-Commerce Conference. We are also willing to participate in the formulation of international standards for small commodities markets. And we propose to use the Internet to expand cross-border trade, and thus improve the small commodities trade network among Silk Road Economic Belt cities.

2. We are willing to participate in cooperation on Central European trains (Yiwu). We highly emphasize interconnectivity between Asia and Europe. We notice that Yiwu has launched cargo trains to Almaty, Madrid, Riga, Teheran, Chelyabinsk and Mazar-i-Sharif. We are willing to see the cities we live in are closely linked to Central European trains (Yiwu). In this way we can participate in the small commodities circulation network based on the grand Central European rail platform.

3.We propose enterprises in different countries to set up production bases in Yiwu. We acknowledge that Yiwu has extremely convenient conditions in international trade. We have learned about Yiwu’s policies in boosting international investment, and its vigorous efforts in attracting foreign companies to set up production bases in Yiwu. We believe Yiwu could become an important opportunities for enterprises in countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt that want access to the Chinese market.

4.We are willing to promote international talent exchange with Yiwu as the linkage. We have learned that Yiwu has its talent-oriented policy principle, and has made constant effort in improving its environment of employment and entrepreneurship for domestic and foreign talent. We are willing to promote multi-level and diversified exchange among governments, universities, think tanks and enterprises, with Yiwu as the linkage. Such jot efforts will help Yiwu develop into an important start point of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

City of Yiwu and 16 Chinese and Foreign Universities Joint Statement on Cultivation of International Talent

We, representatives of 16 universities from 7 countries, jointly participated in the 2016 Silk Road Economic Belt Cities International Forum and Forum III: University President Dialogue: International Talent Cultivation and International Cooperative School-running (Yiwu, China). We discussed in depth how to use “the Belt and Road Initiative” as an opportunity, to strengthen the cooperation between universities and research institutes, to accelerate the cultivation of international talents, and to carry out skills training, and also recognized the huge pressure on lacking international talents for Yiwu serving as an important city along the “Belt and Road” . We reached the following consensus:

1.Strengthening the cooperation of the universities from all countries along “the Belt and Road”. The construction of “the Belt and Road” needs high-level talents from various aspects. Yiwu welcomes university experts from all countries along “the Belt and Road” to visit Yiwu, doing research and promoting communications; University and colleague students are welcomed to have their internship, find jobs or start business at Yiwu. Local government officials and entrepreneurs, or people from Yiwu are welcomed to visit universities, study at universities, exchange with universities, through cooperation, providing intellectual support to the economic development of Yiwu.

2.Supporting the development of higher education at Yiwu. As the only county-level city  carrying out national-level comprehensive reform of international trade in China, Yiwu urgently needs to introduce the Well-known universities or colleges from home and abroad, establishing a first-class university at Yiwu. Yiwu is supposed to take advantages of universities and colleges in education, talent, as well as science and technology, exploring the opportunity to establish the higher education model that suits Yiwu’s economic and social development.

3. Promoting scientific and technology research cooperation. According to the needs of industrial development at Yiwu, Yiwu will support the universities and colleges establishing sub-branches or research centers in the Yiwu Sci-Tech & Innovation New Zone, help promoting the transformation and upgrading of the Yiwu economy. Yiwu will encourage the cooperation between universities and enterprises, and speed up the cultivation of qualified personnels. To improve enterprises` research capabilities and technology, and to transform the scientific research achievements from colleges and universities into actual use, Yiwu will encourage qualified enterprises, setting up technology research centers, joint-running laboratories, or other model research institutions.

4.Providing multi-language training programs. Yiwu, an important trade city, sorely lack of talents mastering the languages of the countries along “the Belt and Road”, will welcome universities and colleges to establish language training institutions at Yiwu, providing multi-language trainings.

5. Providing trainings of multinational corporation management skills. Universities or colleges are welcomed to provide Yiwu enterprises the whole range training for industrial chains, including product designing, international marketing, international operating, laws and regulations in different countries, and etc., and help Yiwu enterprises producing better products, smoothly going abroad and participating in international market.