CHONGQING -- The first Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development opened in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality on Thursday, aiming to harness the strength of the overseas Chinese communities to advance the Belt and Road Initiative.

Deals worth 43.79 billion yuan (about $6.13 billion) covering 66 projects across green energy, cross-border trade, advanced manufacturing and digital economy sectors were signed at the conference.

The conference also launched the Belt and Road Overseas Chinese Business Network, with founding members representing Chinese business organizations from 72 countries and regions. The network aims to integrate global Chinese business resources and promote cooperation in trade, science, technology and culture.

Ten exemplary "Overseas Chinese for Belt and Road" cases, highlighting contributions in fields such as new energy, manufacturing and humanitarian aid, were released.

Jointly organized by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the governments of Chongqing and Sichuan province, the event brought together over 500 overseas Chinese representatives from more than 110 countries and regions.