Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech during a symposium on the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 17, 2016. Xi on Wednesday called for steady advance of the country's Belt and Road Initiative to benefit people along the routes. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

China has signed cooperative agreements on science and technology with 49 countries along the Belt and Road route. Such an achievement has fully leveraged the role of science, technology and innovation in the country’s Belt and Road Initiative, an official said on Sept. 25.

At a symposium on scientific cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative, Vice Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun told media that scientific innovation would be a crucial cooperative area for China and other countries along the Belt and Road route, Thepaper.cn reported.

“Scientific innovation is playing a positive role in the Belt and Road Initiative, and has already achieved great results. China has now built bonds of cooperation with 158 countries and regions. Among these, China has signed cooperative agreements on science and technology with 49 countries along the Belt and Road route, and has launched a series of science and technology partnership programs,” Yin said at the symposium.

According to Yin, China invested 1.4 trillion RMB ($210 billion) in scientific research in 2015, ranking second in the world. Expenses for the sake of scientific research reached 2.1 percent of the country’s GDP, with 77 percent of the investment made by enterprises.

“The Belt and Road Initiative has raised an urgent need for strengthening scientific and technological cooperation. China and countries along the [Silk Road] have a lot in common, and the future of their scientific cooperation is bright,” Yin added.