SHENZHEN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Trade volume between the city of Shenzhen and countries and regions along the Belt and Road rose to 88.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, up 19.3 percent from last year, local government said Sunday.

A total of 41 countries and regions have invested in Shenzhen, in south China's Guangdong Province, according to Wu Sikang, a city government official.

There are three main features in the cooperation between Shenzhen and Belt and Road countries and regions -- industrial bellwethers are playing the leading role, innovative enterprises are the major forces and market demand is the key, Wu said.

"Enterprises should also avoid political, financial and legal risks and place emphasis on comprehensive study of their business partners," he added.