Companies from Zhejiang and 12 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) signed 20 investment deals in Ningbo on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Companies from Zhejiang and 12 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) signed 20 investment deals in Ningbo on Saturday.

The projects, with a combined investment of $14.3 billion, cover sectors such as automobile manufacturing, smart manufacturing, energy, and construction.

The deals were signed at the Zhejiang Provincial Promotion Conference on Belt and Road Construction.

The event aimed to encourage Zhejiang enterprises' trade and investment in countries involved in the BRI, and coincided with the first China-Central and Eastern European Countries Expo, which was held in Ningbo, Zhejiang from June 8-12.

Companies from Zhejiang and 12 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) signed 20 investment deals in Ningbo on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Zhejiang will push ahead high-quality co-ops and all-level exchanges with those involved in the BRI, forging the construction of international trading routes through the sea, land, air and internet," said Che Jun, Party secretary of Zhejiang. 

He said the province will push openness in manufacturing, modern services and agriculture, and boost trade to make the province a key hub along the Belt and Road.