Gathering has spirit of ancient Silk Road

It's "the right choice" for participating countries to come together to discuss building the Belt and Road, following the spirit of the ancient Silk Road, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday evening at a banquet welcoming leaders and representatives to a high-level forum in Beijing.

"About 2,000 years ago, our ancestors cherished the hope of friendly communications. They built the ancient Silk Road and started a period of grand exchanges in the history of mankind," Xi said, toasting the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

It is consistent with the historical pattern that the participants came to discuss building the Belt and Road for modern times, Xi said.