China will host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Monday afternoon at a press conference at the end of the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative is in full swing, said Xi, adding that 68 countries and international organizations have signed multilateral agreements with China.

He added that the next step is to seek deeper and broader cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative framework, and that China hopes the initiative will boost economic growth for participating countries and intensify people-to-people bonds.

Xi also expressed confidence in the future of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The two-day event is the highest-level forum on the Belt and Road Initiative since the Chinese president first raised the concept in 2013.