"The BRI is a key platform for galvanizing the global economy," said Wang Fan, president of China Foreign Affairs University, who pointed to a throng of challenges facing global growth prospects, including rising protectionism and volatility in the international landscape.

In the normal course, the 40-square-meter restaurant keeps its doors open 365 days a year as its patrons include diners from all around the world, including tourists who throng the famed eating house.

Amid the boom, Chinese bakery products such as mung bean cake, pineapple pastries, sesame seed cookies and buns made with glutinous rice are becoming increasingly popular, partly because of promotion by social media influencers who throng to give reviews of Chinese-style bakeries and make recommendations, said the report.

When millions begin to throng such venues, especially ski resorts and hotels with similar features that have mushroomed nationwide in recent times, rise in vacation sales is expected to be inversely correlated to steep drops in winter temperature.

The throng of customers checking out the latest skiing equipment at his stall during the World Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo 2020 is sweet music for Christian Wilhelm as he gets ready to surf the emerging winter sports wave in China.