The Thematic-Forum on Think Tank Exchanges of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held Thursday in Beijing.

Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, speaks at the Thematic Forum on Think-Tank Exchanges of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made a keynote speech at the opening of the thematic-forum.

Huang said President Xi Jinping highly values the active role of international think tanks cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the inauguration of the Belt and Road Studies Network on Wednesday, calling for exchanges and cooperation among think tanks to help deepen mutual trust, build consensus, and advance the joint pursuit of the BRI towards higher levels.

During the past six years, the implementation of the BRI has offered inspiration and opened up new spaces for theoretical studies, Huang said.

He stressed the need to strengthen communication and connectivity between think tanks and media, and achieve the goal of jointly promoting connectivity and mutual learning between intellectual and media resources.

The Thematic-Forum on Think Tank Exchanges was held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. More than 300 think tank and media representatives from over 60 countries and regions attended the forum.