BEIJING, March 5 (INP): The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature spokesperson Zhang Yesui has rebutted a comment that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a "geo-strategic tool", saying that the BRI has been successful so far and such comment is a "misinterpretation". The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, held a press conference ahead of its annual session in Beijing on Sunday morning. During the press conference, Zhang rebutted a comment that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a "geo-strategic tool", saying that the BRI has been successful so far and such comment is a "misinterpretation". "The Belt and Road Initiative is guided by the principle of pursuing shared benefits…and it's still in its infancy stage. We face challenges and we welcome positive and constructive opinions," said Zhang. "Five years ago, President Xi Jinping put forward the (BRI). Over the past five years, thanks to the joint efforts from all parties, this initiative is being turned into actions from a concept, and it is being translated into reality from a vision," he said. India had boycotted the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) organised by China in May last year to highlight its concerns over Beijing's move to include Pakistan as the BRI’s major partner, through China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Besides the India’s concern, 74 counters and international organisations have already signed the cooperation document on BRI with Beijing. Earlier, China managed to include the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (the components of BRI) as development projects in a resolution related to Afghanistan passed by UN Security Council in March last year. INP/J/AH/LK