French retail giant Carrefour SA signed a procurement agreement on Friday for 3,000 metric tons of Hami melons in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to further expand its presence in western China.

In addition, the agreement will help the retailer gain an advantage in shipments of agricultural products from the nation's northwest to various markets along the Belt and Road trading routes.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives were put forward by President Xi Jinping in 2013, with the purpose of rejuvenating the two ancient trading routes and further opening up the markets.