The Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China

04/20/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/19/2021 20:38

New progress in China's cooperation with B&R countries

BEIJING - The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proposed by China in 2013, has seen fruitful results amid high-quality development.

The following are the latest key facts and figures on the development of the BRI.

- China pledges the joint building of the Belt and Road (B&R) with high quality, pushing cooperation on major projects in an orderly manner, according to this year's government work report.

The country also vows to promote the high-quality development of the B&R during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period.

- As of the end of January this year, a total of 171 countries and international organizations had signed 205 cooperation agreements with China on the joint building of the B&R.

- In the first quarter of this year, China's trade of goods with countries along the B&R rose 21.4 percent year-on-year to reach 2.5 trillion yuan (about $383.24 billion), accounting for 29.5 percent of China's total foreign trade.

China has imported 1.09 trillion yuan of goods from B&R countries during the period, up 13.2 percent year-on-year.

- China's nonfinancial direct investment in countries along the B&R reached $4.42 billion in Q1, up 5.2 percent year-on-year.

- Investment from countries along the B&R to China rose 64.6 percent year- on-year to 3.25 billion dollars in Q1.

- A total of 1,241 new enterprises from countries along the B&R were established in China in Q1, up 44 percent year-on-year.

- In terms of foreign contracted projects, China has signed new contracts worth $31.34 billion in countries along the B&R in Q1.

- The number of China-Europe freight trains hit 3,398 in Q1, up 75 percent year-on-year, and the train trips have exceeded 1,000 for 11 consecutive months since May last year.