Beijing, April 11:  Chinese Premier Xi Jinping has said about the new "Silk Road" that it is not a "Chinese plot". He further emphasized on the fact that the new "Silk Road" would boost infrastructure and trade links between China and Eurasia. The new “Silk Road” plan was unveiled by Xi in the year 2013. The new “Silk Road” is a massive network of roads and sea links connecting South East Asia, Europe and Africa. “The Belt and Road Initiative is not a Chinese plot, as some people internationally have said,” Xi Zingping was quoted as saying.

Last year in May, Xi had pledged $126 billion for the plan but the west still views it as another of China's attempt to increase its influence in the region. "The Belt and Road Initiative is not a Chinese plot, as some people internationally have said," Xi told a gathering. The gathering was an annual meeting of the Chinese Boao Forum for Asia.  "It is neither the post-World War Two Marshall Plan, nor is it a Chinese conspiracy. If you had to it's an 'overt plot'," he added, the official news agency, Xinhua, said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday unveiled a host of economic plans and measures for the development of the economy. Delivering the keynote address at the Boao Forum for Asia here, President Xi noted that with a focus on Asia and a global perspective, the forum has witnessed active discussions and produced many valuable "Boao proposals" since its inception.

At the onset of the address, President Xi stated that China's GDP has grown by an average of 9.5 percent in the past 40 years, while the country's foreign trade has registered an annual growth of 14.5 percent in U.S. dollar. "The Chinese people have emerged from a life of shortages and poverty and are now enjoying abundant supply and a moderately prosperous life. According to current United Nations (UN) standards, more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total over the same period," he said. President Xi Jinping's ambitious "Silk Road" project will touch 68 countries and is one of the largest ever infrastructure projects undertaken in the globe.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 12, 2018 12:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).