A vice-chairman of the nation's top political advisory body, CY Leung, said on Sunday that China has now managed to eliminate serious corruption.

The former chief executive, now a leading member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said this achievement in overcoming graft was the reason that President Xi Jinping proposed to build a "Clean Silk Road" during this week's landmark Belt and Road forum.

Leung, who attended the forum in Beijing, told a Commercial Radio programme that some neighbouring countries still struggled with graft.

"Of course currently in our country there is still corruption, as there is in every society. But it is not as widespread or serious as before," he said.

"So when it comes to international cooperation, especially with countries that have rather serious problems in this regard, we proposed building a Clean Silk Road. This means we have the confidence to advocate this, to achieve probity, at least in the Belt and Road countries."

Leung also dismissed criticisms that the Belt and Road Initiative is a debt trap for participating countries.

He said the initiative, which marked its tenth anniversary this week, is not just about economic cooperation, but mutual assistance.

"We have eliminated poverty, so we should use some of our resources to help people in the foreign countries in the capacity of NGOs," he said of Beijing's initiative.

Meanwhile Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the latest proposals for Belt and Road- including building a multidimensional connectivity network and supporting an open world economy - would give impetus to the global economic recovery and long-term development.

Writing on his blog, Chan said Hong Kong could contribute to the Belt and Road initiative as an aviation and trade hub as well as an international financial centre, adding that the SAR can also benefit from the initiative.
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Last updated: 2023-10-22 HKT 14:53