Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

China will continue to promotea high-quality construction of the Belt and Road Initiative with all parties in 2022 and try to achieve fruitful results, said Zhao Lijian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, on Monday in response to media questions over a newly signed cooperation plan between China and Cuba. 

According to Zhao, the plan is an effective implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2018, which clarified the key cooperation projects that will contribute to the development of Cuba economically. 

Zhao made remarks noting that the construction of BRI had marked a significant number of achievements since its official launch eight years ago, including several milestones in 2021. 

In the first 10 months of 2021, China's trade in goods with its BRI partners grew by 23 percent despite global headwinds, such as the China-Laos Railway which entered commercial operations in December, among a number of other signature projects which have been progressing smoothly, according to Zhao, emphasizing that the BRI is delivering growing benefits for more people across the globe. 

Zhao noted that China will further promote the construction and development of the BRI with other countries under an open, green and clean principle in a bid to obtain more sustainable achievements with high construction standards. 

China and Cuba have signed a cooperation plan to promote the construction of the BRI on December 24. 

Global Times