The 2018 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road opened in Boao, Hainan, on Tuesday, attracting 256 guests representing 205 media and institutions from 90 countries and international organizations.

With a theme of "Contributions by All and Benefits to All," the three-day event will focus on discussions on three topics – "Belt and Road regional cooperation", "artificial intelligence and intelligent media" and "Silk Road culture development".

The participants will also exchange ideas on jointly establishing an alliance for media cooperation, according to the organizers that include the People's Daily, the CPC Hainan Provincial Party Committee and the People Government of Hainan province.

Ji Bingxuan, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said in a speech at the opening ceremony that the initiative of jointly building the Belt and Road has become a "China plan" for the country to participate in global opening up and cooperation, improve the global economic governance system, promote global common development and prosperity and build a community of shared future for mankind.

He hoped that friends from media organizations of all countries will work together to spread the Belt and Road spirit of peace, development, openness, innovation and civilization.

Jiang Jianguo, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the Belt and Road international cooperation is a global public product, which benefits the countries and their people along the route.

He encouraged the media to actively work together as a recorder, a participant and promoter of the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Liu Cigui, Party chief of Hainan, said the province is making full efforts to create a gateway for opening up toward the Pacific and the Indian Oceans and an important node along the Belt and Road Initiative.

He invited the guests to participate in the construction of the Hainan pilot free trade zone and free trade port with Chinese characteristics; and jointly promote economic and trade exchanges and build an important platform for Belt and Road media cooperation and exchanges.

Representatives of overseas media organizations also called for more coverage by the local media about the short-term and long-term profits produced by the Belt and Road cooperation projects to the local people. They suggested more training programs be developed to train young media professionals to meet the growing demand in the new media era.