Yunnan to play key role in B&R ties

With China's close relations with South Asian countries, Southwest China's Yunnan province can help enhance regional cooperation for shared benefits under the Belt and Road Initiative, according to Chinese top official Hu Chunhua.

During the opening ceremony of the fifth China-South Asia Expo on June 14 in Kunming, Hu, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a vice-premier of China, said that trade volume between the two sides has grown rapidly in recent years.

In 2017, trading volume between China and South Asia reached $126.8 billion, up 31.7 percent from 2013. In addition, total exports from South Asian countries to China rose by 30.7 percent as China boosts trade ties with the region, according to Hu.