Xi: The Silk Road spirit is a great heritage of human civilization

Chinese president Xi Jinping delivered a speech titled “Work Together to Build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road”, at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on Sunday.

[Photo: Xinhua]

President Xi said that spanning thousands of miles and years, the ancient routes embody the spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit. 

The Silk Road spirit has become a great heritage of human civilization, he said. 

In the years of Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties, such silk routes, both over land and at sea, boomed, he said. Great adventures, including Du Huan of China, Marco Polo of Italy and ibn Batutah of Morocco, left their footprints along these ancient routes, Xi said.