China reports active trade with BRI countries in 2024: commerce ministry

BEIJING -- China's trade in goods with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries hit 22.1 trillion yuan ($3.07 trillion) in 2024, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

Nearly 54 percent of China's imports came from BRI partner countries last year, as China's super-large market has been providing development opportunities for nations around the world, ministry official Li Yongjie told a press conference.

China's exports to BRI partner countries covered consumer goods as well as industrial equipment and components, and these exports have helped promote the industrial development of those countries, she said.

Two-way investment with BRI countries has continued to expand. In the first 11 months of last year, China's non-financial direct investment in BRI countries totaled 214.66 billion yuan, and investment in China from those countries climbed to 99.87 billion yuan.

China signed 36 investment cooperation agreements with BRI countries from January to November last year, mainly involving emerging fields such as the green, digital and blue economies, Li said.

She noted that in the first 11 months of 2024, China's contracted projects in BRI partner countries saw a turnover of 826.34 billion yuan, and China organized and implemented 700 aid projects in those countries, helping to improve their development.

Looking ahead, Li said that China will continue to pursue practical cooperation with BRI partner countries in the areas of digital economy, clean energy and green minerals.

China will also work to secure more free trade agreements and bilateral investment protection agreements with BRI partner countries, Li added.