BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE:FIVE YEARS IN NUMBERS

Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was proposed five years ago, it has earned wide support from the international community. So far, more than 100 countries and international organizations have signed cooperative agreements with China,and a total of 11 nations and regions along the route have signed and implemented free trade agreements with China. The grand project has now ushered in a new period of full implementation, facilitating even more pragmatic cooperation.

WIDESPREAD SUPPORT

Over the last five years, the BRI has received wider support from more partners across the world.

1. Increasingly Recognized Worldwide

TheBRIhas been listed as an outcome document of a number of major international organizations or multilateral mechanisms such asthe United Nations,G20,Asia-Paci fic Economic CooperationandShanghai Cooperation Organization.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation,held in May 2017, drew29 foreignheads of state and governmentand more than1,600 representativesfrom over140 countriesand80 international organizations.

A total of50 cooperative agreementsunder the Belt and Road framework were concluded in 2017, nearly half of all agreements signed in the past five years.

2. Steady Progress on Policy Coordination

China has maintained strategic partnership or bilateral relations at higher levels with nearly60 percent of countriesalong the Belt and Road includingRussia,Cambodia,Laos,PakistanandSouth Korea.3. Growing Number of Partners

So far, more than100 countriesand international organizations have signed cooperative agreements with China within the Belt and Road framework, expanding China’s circle of friends from the Eurasian continent to Africa, Oceania and South America.

Bilateral relations between China and Tajikistan,Hungary, Israel, Ethiopia and Madagascar, as well as25other countries along the route, have been signi ficantly upgraded.

FRUITFUL ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION

Over the past five years, China and other countries along the Belt and Road have continuously expanded their trade and increased investment, and a number of major projects have been carried out.

1. Rapidly Growing Investment

The cumulative volume of trade in goods between China and other countries along the Belt and Road has reachedUS$5 trillion, making China the largest trading partner of25 countriesalong the route.Through foreign direct investment (FDI) exceedingUS$60 billion, China has created more than200,000 jobsin its investment destinations along the route.

China has made a total investment ofUS$28.9 billionin over80 overseas economicand trade cooperation zones. Firms in these zones have paid more thanUS$20 billionin taxes while providing244,000 job opportunitiesto local people.

China’s FDI in countries along the route has increased by7.2 percentannually. Over the last five years, the contract value of China’s engineering projects in these countries has exceededUS$500 billion, an average annual growth rate of19.2 percent.

2. Closer China-ASEAN Economic Ties

In 2017, the total trade volume between China and ASEAN reachedUS$514.82 billion. China has remained ASEAN’s largest trading partner fornine yearsin a row, and ASEAN has been China’s third largest trading partner forsevenconsecutive years.

The cumulative two-way investment between China and ASEAN exceedsUS$200 billion.

More than300,000 local employeeswork in over4,000 Chinese-invested enterprisesin ASEAN member states.

DEEPER FINANCIAL INTEGRATION

China has worked together with other Belt and Road countries and international organizations to carry out various forms of cooperation in the financial sector.

●The bank currently has87 member statesfrom around the world.

●42are countries along the Belt and Road.

● A total ofUS$5.43 billionhas been invested in28 projects.

● More than20 projectshave reached agreements with a promised investment ofUS$7 billion.

● Projects supported by the fund involve a total investment ofUS$80 billion.

●Six Chinese-funded bankshave established more than80 branches,sub-branches or representative officesin19 countriesalong the Belt and Road.

● China UnionPay has installed400,000 ATMsand provides services for4 millionbusinessesin over50 countriesalong the route.

● As of December 2017, the company offers a wide array of insurance services to cooperation projects between China and nearly20 countriesalong the route and has reached agreements with Belarus and Georgia.

ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY

China and its partners along the Belt and Road have made substantial progress over the last half a decade in cooperation on the development of ports, railways, highways, aviation, energy and telecommunications.

1. Ports

China’s shipping services cover all coastal countries along the Belt and Road.

Chinese-funded enterprises are engaged in the construction and operation of42 portsin34 countries.

Shipping routes between China andSouth Korea,IndiaandIndonesiaare the busiest.

2. China-Europe Railway Express

As of June 2018, a total of9,000 cargo trainscarrying nearly800,000 twenty-foot equivalent unitshave made trans-continental voyages between48 Chinese citiesand42 citiesin 14 European countriessuch as Germany, Russia,Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Poland and Belarus.

3. Aviation Routes

China has signed bilateral intergovernmental air transport agreements with62 countriesalong the Belt and Road as well as its first regional air transport agreement with ASEAN.About5,100 airlinersfly directly between China and45 countriesalong the route every week.

4. Chinese-funded Infrastructure Projects

CLOSER TIES

Over the past five years, the people-to-people understanding between China and other Belt and Road countries has been constantly enhanced through extensive cultural and educational exchanges.

1. Frequent Educational Exchange

In 2016, the Chinese government sponsored1,036 peopleto study42 less-used languagesin countries along the route.The same year,75,000 Chinese peoplewere studying in countries along the route, while170,000 peoplefrom these countries came to China to learn Chinese.

In 2017,317,200 studentsfrom countries along the route studied in China, an increase of11.58 percentover the previous year.

So far, a total of20.4 million peoplehave attended courses at137 Confucius Institutesand130 Confucius Classroomsestablished in53 countriesalong the route. These countries are home to a quarter of Confucius Institutes around the world.

2. Co-publishing and Co-production

China has reached film co-production agreements with15 countriesalong the route.

3. Deepened Tourism Cooperation

As of July 2017, China has concluded visa-free or visa-on-arrival agreements with24 countriesalong the route.

In 2016, a total of34 million peopletraveled between China and other countries along the route. China produced24 millionoutbound tourists and attracted nearly10 millioninbound tourists.