XI'AN — The Sixth Silk Road International Exposition opened on Aug 14 in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, with deeper Belt and Road cooperation high on the agenda.

With a theme of strengthening interconnectivity and integration for common progress, shared benefits and win-win results, the expo has attracted participants from over 70 countries and regions, including the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Singapore. Uzbekistan serves as the guest country of honor.

The five-day expo also features meetings and forums that cover topics such as RCEP regional economic and trade cooperation, smart manufacturing and green development.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and beyond along the ancient Silk Road trade routes for common development and prosperity.

The past nine years have witnessed substantial progress in trade and investment under the initiative.

From 2013 to 2021, the total volume of trade of goods between China and the Belt and Road countries was nearly $11 trillion, while two-way investment exceeded $230 billion, said Li Fei, assistant commerce minister of China.

By the end of 2021, China had built 79 zones for economic and trade cooperation in 24 countries along the Belt and Road, investing $43 billion and creating 346,000 local jobs, added Li.