A forum on

development assistance for Belt and Road Initiative countries, one of a series

of events held at the 19th China International Fair for Investment and Trade,

took place in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Sept 7.

Held by the China

Development Bank (CDB), China-Africa Development Fund and the Xiamen branch of

the China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation, the forum attracted more

than 300 government officials and company representatives from countries such

as China, Indonesia, Australia and Israel, to discuss the opportunities brought

by the Belt and Road Initiative.

As China’s largest

bank for overseas investment and financing, CDB has offered loans of $162.1

billion to 64 countries from the Belt and Road regions, with a balance of

$112.2 billion, by the end of July, according to Zheng Xudong, a CDB director.

The loans provided

by the CDB have helped raise local employment rates, and helped strengthen

relationships between China and the Belt and Road Initiative countries,

according to Yang Aiwu, president of the CDB’s Xiamen branch.

The CDB’s Xiamen

branch has also signed deals with the Xiamen Commerce Bureau and other

companies, agreeing to strengthen cooperation in Belt and Road  construction projects, and other overseas

business.