Journalists should strive to be bridges between civilizations to promote peace and development and be good narrators of stories related to the Belt and Road Initiative, officials and representatives of global media agencies said at a forum on Thursday.

Sun Yeli, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the State Council Information Office, called on journalists to tell better stories of BRI, and to promote mutual learning among civilizations and help maintain peace, promote development and advance common prosperity through their reporting.

He made the remarks at the 2023 Belt and Road Journalists Forum hosted by the All-China Journalists Association in Beijing.

The forum, themed "Building a Beautiful Silk Road, Jointly Promoting Prosperity and Development", invited nearly 100 heads of journalists' organizations and media representatives from more than 40 countries and regions involved in the BRI.

Journalists have the responsibility to use their pens, cameras and microphones to report on the intersection of national interests, telling stories of shared opportunities created by the BRI, said He Ping, president of the All-China Journalists Association.

A declaration was also read out at the forum by Christopher Isiguzo, chairman-in-office of the Belt and Road Journalists Network and national president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

In the declaration, parties involved expressed their commitment to enhancing political mutual trust, economic and trade exchanges, cultural exchanges and media cooperation among nations, and enhancing people's willingness to understand and trust each other.

Isiguzo said that journalists do not just witness history. They could shape it, and they can create a world where the exchange of ideas and cooperation brings prosperity for all.

Atal Sembiring Depari, chairman of the Confederation of ASEAN Journalists and the Indonesian Journalists Association, said the role journalists play in shaping public perceptions and understanding of this valuable endeavor is very important, adding that they have a responsibility to report on the initiative accurately, impartially and comprehensively, highlighting the opportunities brought by it.

Guy Mettan, founder of the Geneva Press Club in Switzerland, praised the achievements of the BRI, saying that in the past 10 years, it has been changing the economy of the Eurasian continent, reshaping global economic and trade routes and helping to create a more equitable and multipolar world order.

Georgina Kekea, president of the Media Association of Solomon Islands, said she hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the BRI at the forum, so that she can accurately report on the initiative and its potential impact on the Solomon Islands.

"In the spirit of unity and cooperation, we can go toward a future of shared prosperity and development for all our nations," she added.