UN 'vital' partner in Belt, Road cooperation: China's Xi

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that the UN was a “vital” partner in the Belt and Road Initiative.

"China is ready to work with UN agencies for solid progress in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and more contribution to world peace and development," said Xi.

UN chief Antonio Guterres is in Beijing for a two-day Belt and Road forum that began Tuesday.

“The Belt and Road demonstrates that we have a historic opportunity to build modern, green cities, communities, and transportation and power systems that place resilience and sustainability at the heart,” Guterres said in a statement on the UN website.

“A dramatic context for developing countries, the relevance of the Belt and Road Initiative is undeniable," he added.

The Belt and Road Initiative, billed as recreating the ancient Silk Road to boost the global trade infrastructure, was proposed by Xi in 2013 to connect China with Central Asia, Middle Eastern, European and African markets.

With more than 200 cooperation agreements spread across 150 countries and 30 international organizations, the cumulative value of imports and exports between China and partner countries has reached $19.1 trillion, with an average annual growth rate of 6.4% from 2013 to 2022.