China's Xi confident in the future of new 'Silk Road' effort

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a summit at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, May 15, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said he had every reason to be confident in the future of the Belt and Road initiative, his signature plan to forge a path of peace, inclusiveness and free trade for the globe, beginning with Eurasia. A road to "peace and prosperity" could be reached if all involved made joint efforts, although the undertaking still had a long way to go, Xi told journalists in Beijing, the Chinese capital, at the end of a two-day summit on the initiative. The next Belt and Road summit will be held in 2019, he said. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Writing by Christian Shepherd; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)