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

BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- 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 U.S. dollars), 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 non-financial direct investment in countries along the B&R reached 4.42 billion dollars 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 dollars 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.