BRI cooperation brings tangible benefits to participating countries: white paper

BEIJING -- The Belt and Road Initiative has boosted China's development and benefited the rest of the world, bringing tangible benefits to participating countries, according to a white paper released by China's State Council Information Office on Tuesday.

With a focus on the fundamental issue of development, addressing the weaker links and bottlenecks that hinder development, building new engines for economic development, and creating a new development environment and space for participating countries, the initiative has been boosting development in participating countries, said the white paper, titled "The Belt and Road Initiative: A Key Pillar of the Global Community of Shared Future."

A large number of infrastructure projects have been built, with significant progress for participating countries in the construction of railways, highways, pipelines, shipping, energy, communications and other basic public service facilities, according to the white paper.

"Some engineering projects with a long construction cycle are like seeds sown in a field, gradually generating comprehensive benefits for the long term," it said.

In building poverty reduction capacity in participating countries, China has taken an active part in global food and agriculture governance as developing countries still face the challenge of problems related to food.

More than 2,000 agricultural experts and technicians have been sent to over 70 countries and regions, and more than 1,500 agricultural technologies such as Juncao and hybrid rice have been introduced to many of these countries, according to the white paper.

It noted that China's trade in agricultural products with BRI partners has reached $139.4 billion.

Aiming to boost employment, China has helped to construct industrial parks with participating countries and provided guidance for Chinese enterprises to create jobs for local residents through high-level industrial cooperation in the process of BRI cooperation, according to the white paper.

Notable results in projects have been achieved in improving people's lives. Over the past 10 years, Chinese firms have launched more than 300 poverty alleviation, health care and rehabilitation, and Happy Home projects in participating countries, according to the white paper.