App developers from China are targeting markets linked to the Belt and Road Initiative's vision, as they seek to expand their presence and create new momentum globally, a new report said on Thursday.

According to the report released on Thursday by App Annie, a US-headquartered mobile analytics company, Chinese app developers are seeing a higher share of downloads in countries and regions alongside the Belt and Road Initiative, and China's influence is expected to grow in the next few years.

Last year, downloads of Chinese apps in the Belt and Road Initiative economies accounted for 55 percent of the total overseas market.

UC Browser, the popular mobile browser developed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's UCWeb Inc, topped App Annie's 2017 list of 30 most popular apps in the Belt and Road Initiative markets, followed by cross-platform sharing app SHAREit and Cheetah Mobile's security app Clean Master.

"In 2017, Chinese app developers accelerated their pace of overseas expansion, particularly the economies relating to the Belt and Road Initiative," said Dai Bin, App Annie's country director in China.

According to him, of the 2017 popular apps list, tool apps and photography and video apps accounted for the largest proportion in those markets, as they are more likely to transcend cultural barriers than others.

Dai added that as internet giants like Alibaba are able to invest sufficient money and resources amid the global competition, small and medium-sized Chinese companies should find a suitable access point, such as avoiding entering fields with intense competition.

Quan Jing, Cheetah Global Lab's executive president, said during a global expansion summit last year that, as competition in the local market is heating up, Chinese publishers are increasingly seeking opportunities outside the country for expansion and monetization.

According to App Annie's Top 52 App Publishers for 2017, Chinese gaming and social media giant Tencent Holdings Ltd retained its position to become the top publisher by revenue in the world.

Due to the rapid growth of the gaming sector, Chinese internet company NetEase Inc moved up to the second place on the 2017 list, bypassing South Korea's Netmarble Games Corp and United States-based Activision Blizzard Inc.