FUZHOU, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Southeast China's Fujian Province saw its trade with countries along the Belt and Road (B&R) grew 13 percent in 2019, governor Tang Dengjie said Saturday at the annual session of the provincial people's congress.

Tang attributed the increase to a package of the province's efforts to firm up its links with B&R countries.

Silk Road Shipping, jointly initiated in late 2018 by dozens of ports, carriers and logistics service providers from home and abroad, vows to improve the infrastructure of intermodal transport facilities and construction of railway and logistics parks.

By far the consortium has provided over 1,800 marine shipments along these routes, the governor said.

As a core zone of the ancient maritime Silk Road, Fujian strives to return to its former glory along the route in the new era as China aspires to rejuvenate the ancient sea route.