Chongqing- On December 2, the 2nd Asia-Europe Cooperation Dialogue opened in Chongqing. After the opening ceremony and plenary session, Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia and the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, spoke to media on global warming, multilateralism and an open world economy, the role of Chongqing in connecting Asia and Europe, and the impact of China-US trade war. 

"For the past two decades, Chongqing has recorded double-digit growth annually. Originally an inland city, Chongqing is now one of the windows for opening up to the outside world. In terms of global vision, Chongqing is a good place to connect the European continent. With the help of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chongqing now has direct rail freight lines all the way to Europe. Its blueprint is to become not just an industrial center and trade hub, but also a Smart City and a Smart Manufacturing powerhouse." Ban Ki-moon said.