With the First China International Import Expo due to take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) on November 5, preparation work is already complete. Demand from countries worldwide to participate in the inaugural expo has been so high that the original exhibition space had to be increased by 30 percent. Many countries have already reserved places for the second expo.

The expo, the first such international event to focus only on imports, was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May last year. At the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, he stressed that the expo "is not just another expo in an ordinary sense, but a major policy initiative and commitment taken of our own accord to open up the Chinese market."

At a time when trade protectionism and anti-globalization trends are on the rise, China shows its strong determination to support economic globalization, trade liberalization and facilitation with its concrete actions. This is in line with spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to promote policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and closer people-to-people exchanges.

While visiting Kazakhstan and Indonesia five years ago, Xi proposed the joint construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which is known as the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to Wang Wen, Executive Dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China, the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward to curb the problems in global development. "When protectionism rises, the exchanges and connectivity among the world's countries would be blocked, thus causing problems for the world's development," he said, adding that the initiative, which stresses unblocking connectivity of the world, can solve this challenge. The close cooperation between China and the Belt and Road countries has yielded abundant fruits, which are benefiting peoples in all countries involved.

The Belt and Road Initiative is growing from China's initiative to one embraced by the world. So far, China has signed 123 Belt and Road cooperation documents with 105 countries, covering Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and South Pacific countries. In addition, China also signed cooperation documents with 29 international organizations.

As the African saying goes, if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. Most of the global community is determined to intensify solidarity for better development. It is impossible for any single country to develop on its own or solve the challenges the world is now facing alone. The development journey along the Belt and Road is a prime example of unity in action.