Overseas trade zones serve as model to boost economy

China could share its successful experience of the past 40 years with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative by running industrial zones in these countries, a senior United Nations official said.

In late 1990s, China started to build economic and trade zones overseas, and had 113 such zones by last November. They have attracted a total of $42.14 billion in investment and paid $3.24 billion in taxes to host countries. A total of 302,000 jobs have been created in these countries, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Xu Haoliang, assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, said: "Today these Chinese overseas economic and trade cooperation zones can serve as one of the platforms for facilitating investment and trade cooperation to promote the Belt and Road Initiative." Xu is also director of the UN Development Programme's regional bureau for Asia and the Pacific.