The Belt & Road Initiative fully respects the independent choices of all countries, Tuo Zhen, spokesperson for the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said on Tuesday while fielding questions from the media during a press conference ahead of the start of the Party Congress. Tuo noted that the grand project aims at "maximizing the common interest for development by promoting policy, infrastructure, trade, and financial and people-to-people connections."