The Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, has grown into one of the most promising platforms for international cooperation, forging a new pathway toward inclusive globalization that delivers shared benefits.
The initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes to seek common development and prosperity.
The following are some facts and figures that show its achievements and tangible benefits to all participating countries and regions:
-- A total of 126 countries, including developed and developing nations, and 29 international organizations have signed cooperation documents with China on Belt and Road Initiative the initiative.
-- The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is being held in Beijing from April 25 to 27, and leaders including heads of state and government from nearly 40 countries will attend the forum's roundtable meeting.
-- From 2013 to 2018, the trade volume between China and other B&R countries surpassed 6 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 27.4 percent of China's total trade in goods, and the growth rate is faster than that of the country's overall foreign trade.
-- From 2013 to 2018, China's direct investment in B&R countries surpassed 90 billion dollars, realizing a turnover of 400 billion dollars in foreign contracted projects in these countries.
-- Eleven Chinese-funded banks have set up 76 first-grade institutions in 28 B&R countries, and 50 banks from 22 B&R countries have opened seven corporate banks, 19 branches, and 34 representative offices in China