China to improve cooperation along Belt and Road

BEIJING -- China will improve industrial and commercial cooperation with countries along the "Belt and Road," an official said Tuesday.

A bilateral cooperation mechanism between China and countries such as Mongolia, Iran and Turkey will be created this year, said Yu Xiaodong, spokesperson of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), China's largest trade organization.

Such cooperation mechanisms not only promote international trade, but complement governmental cooperation, Yu said.

The "Belt and Road" refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative created by China to better cooperate with countries in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

CCPIT will promote the establishing of a Silk Road Business Council and Zhenghe Economic and Cultural Friendship Association, two institutions that will prop up economic cooperation between China and "belt and road" countries, Yu said.

CCPIT also encourages domestic enterprises and local governments to hold exhibitions in "belt and road" countries. Around nine exhibitions are in the pipeline, including automobiles, high-speed railways, consumer electronics and textile industry.