President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on Sunday earned wide praise from experts, international delegates and entrepreneurs.

"Spanning thousands of miles and years, the ancient silk routes embody the spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit," Xi told an audience of more than 1,500 from across the globe.

The Belt and Road Initiative is "a project of the century" that will benefit people across the world, he said.