New Century Silk Road Economic Forum kicks off  

China News Service Sunday hosts the New Century Silk Road Economic Forum in Quanzhou, Fujian province. (Photo source: chinanews.com)

Quanzhou (CNS) -- Hosted by China News Service (CNS), the New Century Silk Road Economic Forum kicked off Sunday in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian province.

A campaign called "Chinese Media Exploring Silk Road" was also launched on the same day.

The forum and campaign aimed to introduce the significance of reviving the two silk roads: one over land stretching to Central Asia and Europe, the other by sea linking with Southeast Asia.

Chinese leaders began promoting the creation of a "Silk Road economic belt" and the revival of the maritime Silk Road linking with ASEAN last September.

Some 200 delegates attended the forum, including overseas Chinese media from 20 countries, experts on the Silk Road, envoys from countries located along the roads, and local Chinese government officials and business representatives.

China is devoted to expanding maritime trade with countries along the Silk Road, said Zhang Wei, vice president of the China Council for Promotion of International Trade.

Wei Jianguo, vice chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchange, said the maritime Silk Road stretching to ASEAN, Africa and Eastern Europe covered 96 countries and regions, a great potential market for China to export goods.

Mr. Ong Chong Yi, Minister Counsellor at the Malaysian embassy, said the Malaysian government welcomed and encouraged investments from China. If Chinese corporations treated Malaysia as a trade and investment hub for the Silk Road region, they would be bound to win a larger market, he added.

The Silk Road's relationship to China's economy and economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region was also discussed at the forum.