Ningxia a leader in Arab economic links

The Belt and Road Initiative has made the landlocked Ningxia Hui autonomous region the frontier for opening-up and taking the lead in economic cooperation with Arab and other majority-Muslim countries, the region's top official said.

"Businesses from Arab countries have shown increasing interest in seeking cooperation opportunities with us after the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative," Li Jianhua, Party chief of Ningxia, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

The initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to revive the ancient Silk Road with a focus on trade and infrastructure.