The opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Economic and Trade Center and Suzhou IBI International Group went into operation on April 14th.

Founded in 2016, Suzhou IBI International Group specializes in cooperative projects in Belt and Road countries, with business spanning over 10 Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. In March last year, the group established its Pakistan Centre in Changshu, which attracted a total investment of 50 million yuan and is expected to generate an additional import and export trade volume of $220 million each year.

Changshu has been deeply involved in the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative over the years. In 2024, Changshu's GDP exceeded 300 billion yuan and its total import and export value surpassed 150 billion yuan. Trade with Belt and Road countries reached 73.69 billion yuan, posting a year-on-year increase of 10.1%.