Ministry of Commerce data shows that more Chinese companies invested in the Belt and Road countries in 2017 than in 2016.

The ministry said that Chinese companies invested 14.36 billion U.S. dollars in 59 countries along the Belt and Road last year, up 3.5 percent from 2016. The spending accounted for 12 percent of the total Chinese overseas investment last year. The ministry also said that irrational foreign investments have been effectively curbed. The ministry said that the total amount of Chinese non-financial overseas investment in 2017 was almost 30 percent lower than in 2016.