Beijing, 11 November, 2026 (Kamran Raja): China has signed cooperation agreements under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations, extending the programme’s reach to nearly three-quarters of the world’s nations and several major global institutions. The milestone was announced on Wednesday by Liang Linchong, Director-General of the Department of Regional Opening-up at China’s National Development and Reform Commission, during a press conference. Launched in 2013, the BRI has been presented by Beijing as a platform for promoting international connectivity and creating new opportunities for global economic growth. A report titled “Building an Open World Economy Through Belt and Road Cooperation,” released by a think tank on Tuesday, described the initiative as an example of China’s commitment to openness as a fundamental national policy and to mutually beneficial international cooperation, CGTN reported. The report observed that growing interdependence among countries has created greater opportunities to address global challenges through cooperation and openness. It added that China aims to expand high-standard opening up, strengthen development partnerships and take both domestic and international circumstances into account. Through these efforts, the report said, China seeks to transform global challenges into opportunities for building an open world economy based on inclusive development and mutual benefit.