China welcomes various countries to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, , and remains open to international cooperation conducive to enhancing connectivity and realizing common development, a Party official said on Friday.

Han Wenxiu, an official with the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, made the remarks at a press conference held by the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to introduce the guiding principles of its sixth plenary session.

At present, there is a huge gap in infrastructure investment in the world, especially in developing countries, Han said, adding that the BRI will not be a solo act for China but a real chorus for all countries involved in the initiative.

Han noted that Belt and Road cooperation has made important contributions to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and toward boosting the global economy.

According to Han, trade volume between China and BRI partners has exceeded $9.2 trillion by 2020, while direct investment by Chinese companies in countries involving the Belt and Road has nearly reached $140 billion.

China has provided more than 1.7 billion COVID-19 vaccines to over 110 countries and international organizations, most of which are Belt and Road partner countries, he said.