Establishing the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road will bring benefits to many communities along these routes, Dai Bingguo, a former state councilor, said on Friday.

The significance of the new Silk Road goes beyond travel and economics; it is a road of cultural communications, Dai said at the Eco Forum Global Annual Conference in Guiyang.

The mountainous capital city of Guizhou province will play a vital role in connecting the economic belt and the maritime Silk Road proposed by President Xi Jinping.

Zhang Hanlin, deputy secretary-general of the Guizhou provincial government, said construction of a high-speed railway and a highway that links Guiyang and the coastal metropolis of Guangzhou should be completed within the next 12 months.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said his country is an important part of the "New Silk Road" that binds the Mediterranean with the mainland.

The island nation has launched ventures with China in areas including renewable energy companies to harness wind and solar power.

"We hope the joint effort with other countries along the (New Silk) Road will bring us more trade as well as stimulating the green economy to tackle climate change," he said.