State councilor urges cooperation in Silk Road projects

Asian countries should build trust and optimize development mechanisms in the spirit of regionalism to advance the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, a senior Chinese official said on Thursday.

"China's proposal for 'The Belt and The Road' is an open and cooperative proposal," State Councilor Yang Jiechi said at a subforum titled "Reinventing the Silk Road" under the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province.

"The new Silk Road, centered on economic and cultural cooperation, aims to neither build exclusive blocs nor interfere with current multilateral frameworks," Yang said. "The Asian land and ocean are wide, and the Asian mind is wider."