BEIJING, 5 May (BelTA) - China and Belarus have made a good beginning and chose a high starting point for the joint development of the Silk Road Economic Belt, said Zhao Huirong, the head of a department at the Institute of Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, BelTA has learned.
In 2014, the Chinese Commerce Ministry and the Belarusian Economy Ministry signed a protocol of cooperation in the joint development of the Silk Road Economic Belt. "Using the Chinese - Belarusian Industrial Park the two countries will be able to launch a number of large modern projects in the engineering, information and infrastructure sector, logistics and transportation. They will make efforts to make the park a model to follow in the bilateral cooperation and also in the Silk Road Economic Belt,” Zhao Huirong said.
In her view, China and Belarus have close political and economic ties. The two countries have great potential for cooperation in trade, investment, economic and technology fields. Promoting the political cooperation, developing transport communication, free trade will further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Belarus and China.
The development of transport communication in the Silk Road Economic Belt, which will involve Belarus and China, will help reduce transport and logistics costs, improve the investment climate, Zhao Huirong noted. Expanding free trade will promote mutual investment.
"The Government of the People's Republic of China intends to provide an even bigger market for foreign capital. Belarusian enterprises will also be able to use the opportunity to invest in China,” Zhao Huirong said.