The joint construction of the Belt and Road has been progressing with good momentum in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

During the past year, the interconnectivity between infrastructure in countries which have joined the Belt and Road Initiative has been promoted steadily, Wang said, citing the completion of the China-Laos Railway and Hafia Port and projects underway such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed railway.

"Institutional interconnectivity" of rules and standards for BRI countries also yielded fruitful results, Wang said. Since last year, 10 countries have signed BRI cooperation documents with China, and the number of countries that have joined the BRI reached 180.

China has assisted BRI countries' response to the pandemic with full strength. Of the more than 20 developing countries that have cooperated with China on COVID vaccine development and production, most are countries that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said, adding China will continue to work with the international community to promote quality BRI construction.