BRI cooperation will drive economic recovery post-COVID-19: experts Xinhua | Updated: 2020-12-18 14:27 The Belt & Road Brand Expo in Shanghai, June 30, 2018. [Photo/IC]
KUALA LUMPUR - The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will play a key role in post-COVID-19 economic recovery, according to academics participating in the International Forum on New Inclusive Asia 2020 (IFNIA 2020) on Thursday.
In his opening remarks, Ong Tee Keat, founding chairman of the Center for New Inclusive Asia, a think tank based in Kuala Lumpur, said the BRI offered hope for the continuity of multilateralism and free trade which had been under assault in recent years.
Nation, AU pact to boost BRI in Africa By Ouyang Shijia | China Daily | Updated: 2020-12-18 09:06 Share The Belt & Road Brand Expo in Shanghai, June 30, 2018. [Photo/IC]
China and the African Union have signed an agreement to promote the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa. This marks China s latest move to boost bilateral economic cooperation, according to the country s top economic regulator.
The agreement defines the scope and content of key cooperation projects in fields like communication policies, facilities and connectivity, facilitating unfettered trade and smoothening access to funds, mapping out the timetable and roadmap, said Meng Wei, a spokeswoman for the National Development and Reform Commission. To date, China has signed 202 cooperation agreements with 138 countries and 31 international organizations.