Li Yizhong, co-chairman of the Belt and Road Industrial and Commercial Alliance (BRICA), speaks at the Conference of the China Council of BRICA, held in Beijing on Dec 21, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An alliance of industry and business associations from countries and regions covered by China's Belt and Road Initative expects to play a bigger role in the initiative.

At a conference held in Beijing on Wednesday, alliance co-chairman Li Yizhong said they would actively encourage members to participate in the initiative, facilitate information sharing and matching of projects, and link the initiative with the Made in China 2025 strategy.

Membership of the Belt and Road Industrial and Commercial Alliance, or BRICA, founded in June this year, includes 23 industrial or business associations from 22 countries and regions, representing 2.3 million enterprises.

Li said the China Council of BRICA, as a branch of BRICA, must make good use of its service system and provide guidance for Chinese companies in their bid to go global.

It should also identify synergies between various parties and innovate the model of cooperation, Li added.

The Belt and Road Initiative, launched by China in October 2013, has made fruitful achievements and been positively received by related countries.