Silk Road initiatives not China's Marshall Plan: spokesman

China's Silk Road initiatives should not be referred to as another Marshall Plan, said a spokesman with the country's national political advisory body Monday.[Special coverage]

China's initiatives of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, or Belt and Road, is a new model of South-South and regional cooperation, said Lyu Xinhua, spokesman with the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

The "Belt and Road" initiatives seek common development of countries with different ethnicities, religions and cultures, focusing on wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, Lyu said.

The Marshall Plan has its own historic context and different political intentions with many conditions attached, he said.

"It is inappropriate to simply describe it (the Belt and Road initiatives) as another Marshall Plan," Lyu said.

The Marshall Plan was the postwar plan of the United States to provide economic and military assistance to its allies of western Europe, part of the efforts to contain the expansion of Soviet Union.

China's initiatives have led to the Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which aim to improve connectivity and provide more public services for people in this region, he said.

"We do expect the early realization of connectivity will benefit people of all countries along the Belt and Road," he said.