Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, addresses a press conference on Nov. 5, 2020. (Photo/China News Service)
(ECNS) -- China has signed BRI cooperation agreements with 138 countries and jointly launched over 2,000 projects generating tens of thousands of jobs, said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
Wang made the remarks in response to a question at a regular press conference in Beijing.
Seven years after it was first proposed, the Belt and Road Initiative has become an international public good that is popular across the world as well as the biggest platform for cooperation, Wang said.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, BRI projects have also contributed to the local economic and social recovery, the spokesman said.
On November 3, the Chinese Enterprise Global Image Summit 2020 released the 2020 Chinese Enterprise Global Image Survey Report (Belt and Road edition). According to the report based on a survey in 12 BRI partner countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond, 78 percent speak highly of the Chinese companies, and 70 percent and more than 60 percent comment positively on the Chinese enterprises' performance in helping the local communities in fighting the virus and poverty alleviation respectively, according to Wang.
Sixty percent of the respondents said they are most impressed by the Chinese companies "putting the employees' life and health first" during the pandemic. More than half of those surveyed believe the Chinese enterprises have helped improve local infrastructure and advance domestic development in areas like education, medical care and public health.
Following the principle of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits, China will continue working with BRI partners to pursue open, green and clean cooperation and high-standard and sustainable development that benefits the people, Wang said, adding that China will continue advancing BRI cooperation to deliver more tangible benefits to people in all countries.