Source: China Daily    Published: 2015-10-14

Guo Yezhou (second from right) speaks at a press briefing on Asian Political Parties` Special Conference on the Silk Road, Oct 13, 2015. [Photo by Zhang Xiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Communist Party of China (CPC) hopes that an upcoming conference convening political parties of Asian countries will help draw more consensuses among them on the Belt and Road Initiatives, said a CPC official on Tuesday.

Guo Yezhou, Vice-Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, made the remarks at a press briefing held on the Asian Political Parties` Special Conference on the Silk Road which will kick off on Wednesday.

The special conference is held within the framework of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), a multilateral forum for major political parties of Asian countries launched in 2000.

The standing committee of the ICAPP proposed in March that China holds a special conference on the Silk Road so that countries in Asia and along the Belt and Road can work together with a clear picture of China`s "Belt and Road Initiatives" in mind, Guo said.

"The ICAPP is an important platform of dialogues among Asian political parties and China is willing to promote party-to-party cooperation by organizing such events," he said.

According to the official, Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold meetings with the representatives during the conference and Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, will attend the opening ceremony while Vice President Li Yuanchao will be present at the closing ceremony.

"China hopes that the political parties of the countries along the Belt and Road could take part in the communication on the initiatives, especially the ruling parties and the opposition parties in Asian countries and regions," he said.

More than 60 political delegates from over 30 countries will attend the event and China will listen to their ideas and suggestions and include them on the Beijing Initiative that will be adopted at the conference, he said.

The special conference includes discussions on regional economic cooperation, dialogues between media agencies as well as business representatives and three panels with respective topics of "Political Leadership: New Consensus for Political Parties," "People-to-People Bonds: New Dialogue between Civilizations," and "Economic Integration: New Impetus for Development."

The event is expected to expand the regional consensus on the Belt and Road Initiatives among political parties, business groups and media agencies, Guo said.

In recent years, special conferences have been held by the ICAPP for political parties to exchange and share experience on priority issues such as disaster prevention and poverty alleviation. The upcoming one on the Silk Road was the ninth of its kind.

It is the fourth time that the CPC host a special conference, with previous sessions themed on "Poverty Alleviation" (2010), "Development and People`s Access" (2011), and "Promoting Green Development and Building a Beautiful Asia Together" (2013).

The 25th Standing Committee Meeting of the ICAPP will be held on the sidelines of the conference.