The Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation opens in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2017. During a press conference held yesterday, Zhang Junkuo, Deputy Director of Development Research Center of the State Council (DRCSC), affirmed the important role of the center in providing intellectual support for the international cooperation along the Belt and Road.

According to Zhang, the center gives full play to its think-tank advantages and provides intellectual support for the international cooperation along the Belt and Road through conducting in-depth researches on “the Belt and Road” related subjects and strengthening the cooperation with relevant international organizations.

The current think-tank network for “the Belt and Road” international cooperation will be strengthened in the coming days, Zhang noted that a normalized mechanism for think-tank dialogue, personnel exchanges and research cooperation will be established.

The center will take an active part in creating the Belt and Road theoretical system and discourse system in order to continuously build confidence and expand consensus among all countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

Zhang also noted that the decision-making, consultation and research level should be comprehensively improved so as to provide scientific advice for all parties in the aspect of project docking, policy coordination and mechanism design.