BEIJING — China’s agricultural trade with the Belt and Road (B&R) countries totaled $77 billion in 2018, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on July 19.

China has launched more than 650 agricultural investment projects in B&R countries, with an investment of $9.44 billion, up 70 percent compared with five years ago, said Ma Hongtao, an official with the ministry, at a press conference.

These projects promoted the development of local industries such as grain, cash crops, animal husbandry and agricultural processing, Ma said.

Chinese-funded agricultural enterprises have built public welfare facilities in the B&R countries, employing more than 100,000 workers in the regions.

Ma said that the ministry has signed agricultural and fishery cooperation documents with more than 80 B&R countries.

Trade from goods with B&R countries totaled $1.3 trillion in 2018, up 16.3 percent year-on-year and outpacing the growth rate of the country’s total foreign trade last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.