GUANGZHOU — China has made remarkable achievements in poverty reduction domestically and globally, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has showcased China's commitment to peaceful international cooperation, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has said.

In terms of alleviating poverty at home, the Chinese government has shown its capability to concentrate resources on and commit to the cause, Hatoyama told Xinhua on the sidelines of the 2019 Imperial Springs International Forum, which concluded in Guangzhou on Dec 2.

According to official data, China has lifted 850 million people out of poverty during the past 40 years, accounting for over 70 percent of global poverty reduction.

Internationally, China helps alleviate poverty in developing countries by promoting the BRI, he said, adding that the initiative offers a crucial platform for all-win cooperation amid the rise of unilateralism and protectionism.

Japan should be an active player in constructing the Belt and Road, said the former Japanese leader.

Proposed in 2013, the BRI aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

So far, the BRI has become a platform of opportunities and a road to prosperity for all its participants. China has signed cooperation agreements with more than 160 countries and international organizations.

The Imperial Springs International Forum was founded in 2014 and was co-hosted by the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Guangdong Provincial People's Government and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid.