On May 21, it was announced at a press conference held by the Information Office of the People's Government of Sichuan Province that the 2026 Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development will be held in Sichuan from June 1 to 5. With the theme of "Gathering the Strength of Overseas Chinese to Write a New Chapter of the Silk Road", the conference is jointly hosted by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the People's Government of Sichuan Province, and the Chongqing Municipal People's Government. It is an important event under the "Ministry-Province (Municipality) Coordination, Sichuan-Chongqing Rotating Host" mechanism, and serves as a key platform in the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan to unite the hearts, strengths, and wisdom of overseas Chinese to support the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. At present, all the preparatory work for the conference has been basically completed.

Leveraging the geographical advantages and industrial foundation of Sichuan and Chongqing, the conference will draw participation from heads of major overseas Chinese communities, prominent overseas Chinese entrepreneurs, and overseas Chinese experts and scholars across 120 countries and regions worldwide. Focusing on serving the national strategy of opening up to the outside world and the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the conference aims to promote the in-depth integration of overseas Chinese talents, technologies, and capital with domestic industries, trade, science and technology, and cultural resources, injecting strong "overseas Chinese impetus" into the opening up of China's western region.

The event is structured around a "1+1+4+N+3" framework, which includes a group meeting, one opening ceremony and plenary session, four parallel thematic sessions, N (which means multiple) sub-forums, and three inspection tours covering Sichuan, Chongqing, and Xinjiang. The opening ceremony and plenary session will feature investment promotion and the release of the top ten exemplary cases of overseas Chinese contributions to the Belt and Road cooperation. The four parallel thematic sessions will hold exchange activities focusing on topics such as economy and trade, talent, culture, and youth. The N sub-forums will center on policy interpretation and business matchmaking to meet the investment and cooperation demands of overseas Chinese entrepreneurs and enterprises.

The conference features three prominent highlights. First, industrial synergy fuels growth momentum. The event aligns precisely with the key industrial layout of the 15th Five-Year Plan to empower industrial upgrading and market expansion. Second, collaborative innovation boosts vitality. The event will bring together academicians, experts from home and abroad, think tanks from the overseas Chinese circles, science and technology innovation enterprises, and university research teams to facilitate the implementation of cutting-edge projects and promote the commercialization of innovative achievements. Third, cultural exchanges deepen people-to-people bonds. The event will draw participation from representatives from overseas Chinese-language media, educational institutions, and Chinese cuisine associations, and leverage the profound cultural heritage of the Bashu region to solidify public support.