According to data released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, in the first quarter, China's goods trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative exceeded 4.8 trillion yuan (about $594 billion), representing a 5.5 percent increase over the same period of last year. China's rapid growth over recent years has provided new development opportunities for the rest of the world, said Stephan Ossenkopp, a senior researcher with the Schiller Institute.