Participating countries will promote policy coordination and infrastructure connectivity through cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to a white paper released by China's State Council Information Office on Tuesday.

The white paper, titled "The Belt and Road Initiative: A Key Pillar of the Global Community of Shared Future," said that as its scope expands, the BRI has become the world's largest platform for international cooperation, with the broadest coverage.

"We have continued to facilitate policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and closer people-to-people ties, by orienting towards 'hard connectivity' in infrastructure, bolstering 'soft connectivity' through harmonized rules and standards, and strengthening people-to-people bonds," said the white paper.

Policy coordination underpins BRI cooperation, according to the white paper. China has worked with participating countries and international organizations to establish a multilevel policy coordination and communication mechanism for aligning development strategies, technological and economic policies, and administration rules and standards.

A long-term mechanism for policy coordination is largely in place. Multilevel channels for regular communication among different parties have been opened up on different platforms.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has been hosted twice by China, offering an important forum for participating countries and international organizations to enhance interactions, increase mutual confidence, and strengthen ties.

Multilateral cooperation is driving forward. Under the BRI framework, Chinese and foreign partners have launched 20-plus multilateral dialogue and cooperation mechanisms in professional domains such as railways, ports, energy, finance, taxation, environmental protection, disaster prevention and relief, think tanks, and the media, attracting a growing number of participants, according to the white paper.

The BRI prioritizes the connectivity of infrastructure, the white paper stated. Based on a framework comprising "six corridors, six routes, and multiple countries and ports," a multi-tiered and multidimensional infrastructure network is taking shape.

Participating countries have pressed forward with the creation of international arterial routes, building an infrastructure network that connects subregions in Asia as well as the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa.

The Maritime Silk Road network has continued to expand. By the end of June 2023, it had reached 117 ports in 43 countries, and more than 300 well-known Chinese and international shipping companies, port enterprises and think tanks, among other bodies, have joined the "Silk Road Maritime" association.

The Air Silk Road has made notable progress. China has signed bilateral air transport agreements with 104 BRI countries and opened direct flight routes with 57 BRI countries to facilitate cross-border transport.

Basic connectivity over land, maritime, air and cyberspace is in place, laying solid foundations for deeper cooperation in trade and industrial capacity and strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchanges, it said.

Cooperation in new areas is advancing steadily. Taking advantage of their respective strengths, the co-constructing countries have continued to expand their fields of cooperation and innovate their modes of cooperation. This has led to positive progress in promoting the construction of healthy, green, innovative and digital Silk Roads, thus broadening the space for international cooperation.

(Cover image: Infrastructure in Yongzhou City, east China's Hunan Province, March 22, 2023. /CFP)

(With input from Xinhua)