Xing Huina:
Thanks for Mr. Guo's introduction. Now we start taking questions. Please state the news outlet you work for before raising questions.
CCTV:
What achievements did the MOFCOM make in promoting economic and trade cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2021? What is the MOFCOM's work plan this year? Thank you.
Guo Tingting:
Thank you for your questions. I'll brief you on them. Given the profound changes and the pandemic conditions not seen in a century, China continues to uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and aims for high-standard, people-centered, and sustainable growth. We have worked with relevant parties to promote the high-quality BRI development through joint efforts. Remarkable achievements have been made, with participating countries enjoying common development and mutual benefit. The joint construction of the Belt and Road has developed into a well-received global public product and a platform for international cooperation.
In 2021, the MOFCOM implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, stepped up efforts to promote the economic and trade cooperation under the BRI, and made new contributions to the high-quality BRI development.
First, Unimpeded trade saw new progress. In 2021, total trade of goods between China and countries along the Belt and Road reached 11.6 trillion yuan, marking a new record in eight years. It registered a year-on-year increase of 23.6% and accounted for 29.7% of China's total foreign trade. Cross-border e-commerce and other new business forms developed rapidly. A lot of overseas warehouses were built and put into use. The first overseas smart logistics platform (https://ols.zjmade.cn:18084/consumer/home) was launched to match supply and demand on overseas warehouses. The number of China-Europe freight train trips surged by 22% year on year to 15,000, and a total of 1.46 million twenty-foot equivalent units of goods were handled, up 29% year on year. The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor witnessed rapid progress. China and Singapore signed a cooperation plan, and jointly held the 2021 CCI-ILSTC International Cooperation Forum.
Second, new progress was made in investment cooperation. Direct investment to countries along the Belt and Road grew 7.9% year on year to 138.45 billion yuan in 2021, accounting for 14.8% of total outbound investment. Companies from countries along the Belt and Road have been optimistic about development opportunities in China. As such, their direct investment reached $11.25 billion (around 74.28 billion yuan), surpassing the threshold of $10 billion for the first time. Steady progress has been made in the construction of BRI projects. The accomplished turnover of contracted projects in countries along the Belt and Road totaled 578.57 billion yuan, accounting for 57.9% of the country's total. The assistance programs in poverty alleviation, healthcare, education, sports, and other areas related to people's livelihood proved to be effective, and the construction of the China-aided future headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went smoothly.
Third, mechanisms and platforms were well improved. We established with relevant countries eight unimpeded trade working groups and investment and economic cooperation working groups. We signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Senegal on e-commerce cooperation, and signed MoUs with Hungary and Russia to enhance cooperation in green development and digital economy. The cooperation mechanisms, thereby, have been improved and more channels have been established to ensure better communication. Moreover, we held successfully a series of exhibitions last year, including the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the China Import and Export Fair (also known as the Canton Fair), the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), the China-ASEAN Expo, and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, which have promoted economic and trade cooperation with relevant countries.
In November 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the third symposium on the Belt and Road Initiative, charting the course and providing the fundamental guiding principles for promoting the BRI through joint efforts in the new era. In 2022, the MOFCOM will implement the spirit of the important speech made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and take the economic and trade cooperation under the BRI as the priority. We will continue to reinforce the fundamentals of the cooperation and steadily expand new cooperation areas. We will ramp up efforts to build the iconic BRI projects and strengthen risk prevention and control so as to promote the high-quality development of the BRI throughout joint efforts and better serve the building of the new development paradigm. Thank you.
