China making headway on Belt and Road Initiative

BEIJING - Capacity, infrastructure and education cooperation with countries under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is progressing well, an official said Thursday.

The total value of bilateral capacity cooperation has exceeded $100 billion under the framework, said Zhao Chenxin, spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) at a news briefing.

So far, Chinese companies have built 46 cooperation zones in countries along the routes, while China's Ministry of Education has inked over 60 deals with those countries, according to Zhao.

In 2015, nearly half of the international students in China came from countries along the routes, Zhao added. Nearly 400,000 foreign students from 202 countries and regions came to study in China in 2015, data showed.

Meanwhile, China was building more railways, highways and ports along the routes while sealing more MOUs with its neighbors and partners.

Launched in late 2013, the initiative is an umbrella term for the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It will be a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.