BEIJING — China's commerce ministry said on May 14 there is great potential for trade cooperation between China and Belt and Road countries.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has weighed on economic and trade cooperation between China and Belt and Road countries, there is a solid foundation and great potential for further cooperation moving forward, Gao Feng, the Ministry of Commerce spokesman, said at a press conference.

China's trade volume with Belt and Road countries, which accounted for 30.4 percent of the total, rose 0.9 percent year-on-year in the first four months of the year to 2.76 trillion yuan (about $388.73 billion), according to data from the ministry.

The growth was compared with a 4.9-percent fall in the country's total foreign trade recorded during the same period.

Gao said China will continue to enhance cooperation with Belt and Road countries to jointly fight the epidemic and consolidate the sound momentum of economic and trade cooperation