On 08 June 2022, Consul General Zheng Xiyuan was invited by Professor Schofield, Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, to attend the Interdisciplinary Conference on Belt and Road Initiative hosted by Lancaster University Belt and Road Initiative Research Consortium (LUBRIC), and co-organised by Institute of Belt and Road Strategy at Tsinghua University. Consul Li Fanghui and Consul Ren Yu accompanied him.
Consul General Zheng said that the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping has received enthusiastic response from all sides, and the countries and individuals involved in this historic change have undoubtedly made positive contributions to the development and progress of human society. Mr Zheng elaborated the new features of the initiative using “GIVE” which stands for Green, Innovation, Visibility and Education.
Lancaster Mayor Councillor Pritchard and Vice-Chancellor Schofield delivered warm welcome speeches. Participants from different countries came together to share their views onsite and online, including scholars from Imperial College London, London School of Economics and Political Science, King's College London, University of Nottingham, University of Sheffield, Nanyang Technological University, University of Queensland, Leiden University, University of Extremadura, Tsinghua University, Sun Yat-sen University, Sichuan University, Xidian University, and representatives from companies and institutions, focusing on the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on the interests of the countries concerned, with a panel discussion on a health Silk Road, a digital Silk Road and a green Silk Road.
In an interview with reporters, Professor Schofield acknowledged the initiative as an opportunity for the world to promote social progress and prosperity through sustainable development, but how to work with China to achieve this goal within the framework needs to be explored. Also, both the Chief Executive of UK National Committee on China and the Chairman of Manchester China Forum expressed great optimism about green Belt and Road, and the recently held UK China Hydrogen Energy Cooperation Forum was a useful attempt to expand cooperation between the two countries in areas such as addressing climate change.
Consul General Zheng met Vice-Chancellor Professor Schofield and emphasised that China has always put people’s safety and health first. He thanked the university for providing care and support for Chinese student during the pandemic, and the two sides exchanged views on deepening education and people-to-people cultural exchanges and cooperation.
