Levels of economic and trade cooperation between China and partner countries along the Silk Road Initiative trade routes have been stronger than expected over the past six months, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

Shen Danyang, the ministry's spokesman, said the initiative's progress and the effects so far had been "beyond what we had hoped".

Latest figures show China attracted $3.67 billion in foreign investment in the first six months from companies along the Belt and Road, up 4.15 percent on a year-on-year basis.