CCTV9英语新闻：Ningxia's Party Secretary Li Jianhua on Belt and Road Initiative

As the "two sessions" continue, CCTV reporter Su Yuting sat down for an interview with NPC Deputy Li Jianhua, Party Secretary of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and chairman of the Standing Committee of Ningxia People's Congress.

Li Jianhua said the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative has brought significance changes to the development of Ningxia. 

Q1. Party Secretary Li Jianhua, Good to have you on CCTV NEWS. President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative two years ago. Ningxia has been actively engaged in this strategy and made significant achievements. What changes has that brought to Ningxia?

A1. First of all, I'd like to extend my sincere gratitude to CCTV NEWS for this interview and thanks for asking me the question concerning this very hotly-discussed issue. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping has provided huge opportunities and great changes to the development of Ningxia. Firstly, it has changed the thinking of local officials. They are becoming more actively engaged in promoting inland Ningxia to go global. In addition, the Initiative has also accecelated Ningxia's economic transformation. Ningxia has many unique industries with great potential. It has the world's leading coal chemical technology, the world's biggest coal liquefaction device with a capacity to process 400 tons of coal which will be completed and put into production soon. Its modern textile industry is also developing well, and about 40 percent of the world's cashmere and 60 percent of China's is produced in Ningxia. Ningxia produces top quality grapes and wine, goji berries and potatoes. And the emerging big data industry and the West Cloud Valley have attracted Internet giants like Amazon and Qihoo 360. Ningxia is rich in energy resources, its coal reserves rank No. 6 in China, and per capita electricity generation capacity ranks first in the country. Five of the national "West to East" gas pipelines go through Ningxia. Ningxia is located on the New Eurasian Continental Bridge; its an important pivot on the Silk Road. So the Belt and Road Initiative has highlighted the regional advantages of Ningxia, turning Ningxia from a hinterland to a frontier of the opening-up and strengthening exchanges with the world.

Q2. Ningxia is in fact the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and the Hui ethnic minority are Muslim. The second China-Arab States Expo held in the regional capital Yinchuan last year has had significant influence around the Arab states, as well as countries along the Silk Road. Could you please tell us more on that?

A2. Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the Arab League Headquarters in Cairo earlier this year. He said the China-Arab States Expo hosted by Ningxia has  become an important platform for the Belt and Road Initiative. At last year's second Expo, we signed a total of  deals for 241 projects and 183-billion yuan worth of contracts.There are five bilateral cooperation institutions set to locate in Ningxia, including the China-Arab Technology Transfer Center, the China-Arab Commercial Mediation Center, the China-Arab Agricultural Technology Transfer Center and the China-Arab Medical and Health Cooperation and Development League. The construction of the "China-Saudi Arabia Industrial Park" in Jazan and the "China-Oman Industrial park" in Duqm are new platforms for China-Arab cooperation.

Q3. Ningxia has proposed creating China-Arab links via land, air and the Internet. That’s a big innovation. What are the specific points and how can they be carried out?

A3. "These three big routes are an important platform for Ningxia to go global and connect with the world. Ningxia will build the Land Silk Road. It has been  carrying out major development of rail-to-road and rail-to-sea combined transportation. Ningxia will also create an Air Silk Road. The annual passenger throughput in Yinchuan Hedong Airport is now more than five million. We have opened 11 air routes to Dubai, Incheon, Hong Kong etc. And Ningxia will create an Online Silk Road. Yinchuan has launched an e-commerce pilot scheme for cross-border trade.

Q4. 2016 is the China-US Year of Tourism, and the two sides will hold a high-level dialogue in Yinchuan in September. What can we expect from that event?

Q5. This Dialogue is of great significance to China's tourism industry. It will enhance exchanges between China and the US. With its central location in China, Ningxia has rich resources like golden deserts, magnificent mountains and beautiful lakes. There are 95 types of tourism resources in China, and Ningxia has 66 of them. It's honored as mini-scape of China's sightseeing destinations. I believe the high-level dialogue will help the world to know more about the unique charm of some must-see tourist destinations in Ningxia.