Zhou Jiangyong, Party chief of Hangzhou speaks at the opening ceremony of the first general assembly of the Belt and Road Local Cooperation Committee in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Dec 3. [Photo/chinanews.com.cn]

Zhou Jiangyong, Party chief of Hangzhou said that the eastern Chinese city is ready to strengthen dialogues and further technical cooperation in urban governance, the improvement of people's lives and ecological protection with the cities involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

"While sharing development opportunities brought by the BRI, we need to make a joint effort," he said.

The BRLC, established in 2017, was jointly initiated by the Hangzhou Municipal People's Government and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in the framework of the "World City and Local Government Joint Organization" Asia Pacific. The secretariat is headquartered in Hangzhou.

To date, nearly 70 domestic and foreign local governments and organizations have become BRLC members.