The third 21st Century Maritime Silk Road China (Guangdong) International Communication Forum will kick off in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong province from Oct 21 to 23.

Jointly sponsored by the China Media Group and the Guangdong Provincial Government, the forum will have the theme of "the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area facilitating the integration of the Maritime Silk Road."

This year's event will be composed of one main forum, three parallel sub-forums, a project signing ceremony, and photography exhibitions showcasing the integrative development of media and cultural tourism along the Belt and Road.

Around 300 world leaders, media delegations, well-known politicians, and professors from home and abroad will attend the forum, including people in charge of 18 media outlets from 18 countries and regions, the 2015 Nobel Economics Prize winner Angus S. Deaton, the founder of the Europe-China Forum David Gosset, and Fan Gang, director of research at the China Reform Foundation.

In the first eight months of this year, China's trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road grew by 10 percent year-on-year. The number of newly established foreign-funded enterprises exceeded 27,000, with the actual utilized foreign investment reaching more than 600 billion yuan ($84.87 billion).

"However, this kind of cooperation is facing new challenges, such as the rise of international trade protectionism," said Hu Bangsheng, vice president of China Radio International. "It is urgent for media of all countries to strengthen cooperation and report well with facts."

The press conference for the third 21st Century Maritime Silk Road China (Guangdong) International Communication Forum is held on Oct 15 in the province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]