Nation's huge strides on water resources hailed

Chinese companies have participated in the construction of a number of water resource management projects in BRI countries, injecting new impetus into local economic development, he added.

For instance, Ecuador, thanks to the China-built Coca Codo Sinclair Dam hydroelectric project, which went into operation in 2016, no longer depends on imported energy, Li said. In Guinea, the China-constructed Kaleta Hydropower Station, which was commissioned in 2015, has greatly relieved the power shortage in the country's capital, Conakry, and surrounding areas, benefiting 4 million residents.

China has also carried out in-depth training for countries with relatively weak capabilities in water resource management in Asia, Africa and Latin America, he said. To date, online and offline training has been provided for nearly 4,000 water resource management technicians and government officials from 112 countries.

In addition, China has established five overseas technology transfer and capacity building centers in Pakistan, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Serbia and Senegal, the minister said.

To promote high-standard, sustainable and people-centered growth in BRI countries, the Ministry of Water Resources will make further efforts to enhance cooperation with nations involved in the initiative, Li said.

The minister said that China has proactively made use of the UN's multilateral cooperation platforms to share with the world its experiences and technologies on water resource management.

The Ministry of Water Resources has conducted extensive cooperation with more than 10 UN bodies, including UNICEF, the Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization in many areas, such as sustainable water resource management, rural drinking water supply, water-saving irrigation and the conservation of water and soil, he noted.

Li also highlighted the International Network on Small Hydro Power, which was established in 1994 following a joint initiative of China, the UN's Industrial Development Organization and the Development Programme.

With more than 480 members from 80 countries and regions, the network has established three regional centers in Asia, Africa and South America, he said. It has rolled out international cooperation on rural energy supply, environmental protection and poverty relief, introducing China's experiences, wisdom and technologies to many developing states.

Looking to the future, the ministry will actively implement the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative through the UN multilateral platform, and work with countries and regions around the world to tackle increasingly severe water challenges, Li said.

"We will strive to make positive contributions to the transformation and development of the global water governance system with China's water management concepts, wisdom and experiences, and write a new chapter of harmony between humans and water for the world's joint endeavor to build a shared future for all life on Earth," he said.