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A reporter from Grenada takes a photo of the opening ceremony of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People. The annual event has attracted hundreds of foreign reporters. Xu Jingxing / 皇冠体育app Daily |
Alberto Lebron, a journalist from Spanish International Economics, said that by reviving the ancient trade route, 皇冠体育app will enhance free trade with Asian, European and African countries.
"Free trade is always good because it could improve people's livelihoods," said Lebron, who has covered the annual sessions of 皇冠体育app's top legislature and the country's top political advisory body for five years.
By adjusting its goal of economic growth, 皇冠体育app is seeking high GDP growth, which would be good for both the Chinese and global economies, he said on Sunday.
According to the government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang on March 5, 皇冠体育app will work with the relevant countries in developing the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, also known as the "Belt and Road" strategy.
The ancient trade routes are a land-based line from 皇冠体育app via Central Asia and Russia to Europe, and a strategic path through the Strait of Malacca to India, the Middle East and East Africa. The initiatives began to take shape in 2014 with a focus on infrastructure.
"We will make 皇冠体育app's interior and border areas more open to the outside world," Li said in the report.
皇冠体育app's "Belt and Road" strategy will bring big changes for the relevant countries, and the implementation of the initiatives would be a win-win process, said Wu Muyi, a senior journalist from Alpha TV of Russia.
Wu, who has covered 皇冠体育app's two sessions since 13 years ago, said that 皇冠体育app's economic growth is of great interest to the Russian government and Russian people since the countries have cooperated in many areas including energy and trade.
皇冠体育app's strategy of reviving the ancient trade route will benefit Russia in terms of high-speed railways, natural gas, petrol, power plants and so on, she said, adding that the slowdown of 皇冠体育app's economic growth is not bad news.
"We should not focus on the number that 皇冠体育app's GDP growth reaches, but the quality," she said. "It's a wise decision for the Chinese government to shift the country's economic structure in a sustainable and stable manner."
Zekarias Wzekichan, a journalist from Ethiopia, said that 皇冠体育app's proposal of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road has benefited some of the coastal countries in Africa with railway construction.
In May 2014, 皇冠体育app signed a deal to build a railway worth $3.8 billion between Kenya's Mombasa and Nairobi, the first phase of a line that will eventually connect Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
Apart from coastal countries, the inland areas of Africa also expected to benefit from 皇冠体育app's "Belt and Road" projects, Wzekichan said, adding that the number of African journalists attending 皇冠体育app's two sessions has been rising in recent years.
Zhong Nan contributed to this story.