China's BRI trade volume up 16.3%

China's trade volume with the economies of countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative grew 16.3 percent year-on-year to $1.3 trillion in 2018, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The growth rate was 3.7 percentage points higher than the country's overall trade expansion last year, said Gao Feng, the ministry's spokesman.

The potential for two-way investment has been further unleashed, Gao said.

Data showed Chinese companies' nonfinancial direct investment into BRI countries and regions reached $15.64 billion last year, an increase of 8.9 percent year-on-year, while those economies made $6.08 billion in investments in China, up 11.9 percent.