Over the past 10 years, the Belt and Road Initiative advocated by China has not only promoted the rebalancing of China's economic and trade structure, but also promoted changes in the world pattern and global perception. These changes are not only reflected in the level of utensils and infrastructure, but also in the level of institutions and concepts.
Today, let's take a look at what major things China has done about the Belt and Road Initiative in the past 10 years.
China-Laos Railway
The railway runs from Kunming in China in the north to Vientiane in Laos in the south, with a total length of 1,035 kilometers. It has promoted economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges between China and Laos and the countries that jointly build the "Belt and Road", and has become a golden channel connecting the inside and outside, radiating the surrounding areas, and providing mutual assistance in both directions.
The opening of the China-Laos railway has provided a more convenient way for trade between the two countries. For example, fruits from Southeast Asian countries can be transported to Kunming by the railway, while durians from Thailand can also be transported by car to Vientiane, Laos, and then sent to Kunming, China via the China-Laos railway, in just four days. In addition, Zhonghe Rubber Co., Ltd. in Mengnan County, Luang Prabang Province, Laos, also uses the China-Laos Railway to transport products from Luang Prabang Station to China. These examples show that the China-Laos Railway plays an important role in facilitating bilateral and multilateral trade.
Regarding the China-Laos railway, the vice chairman of the Lao National Assembly choked up several times, saying that Laos is a landlocked country with no coastline, and the Lao people have wanted to have a railway for a long time. "We are very fortunate to be neighbors with China. ”
All in all, the China-Laos Railway has transformed Laos from a "land-locked country" to a "land-linked country", and more importantly, it has cleared tens of thousands of unexploded bombs and landmines left behind by the United States during its construction.
Mombasa-Nairobi Railway
The Mombasa-Nairobi Railway is a railway connecting Mombasa and Nairobi in the Republic of Kenya, and it is also the first East African trunk railway with Chinese technology, Chinese standards and Chinese management, and the first modern railway owned by Kenya.
The construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway has promoted economic growth and employment, especially the contribution rate of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway to Kenya's economic growth has reached 1.5%, and has created a large number of jobs directly and indirectly, providing impetus for local economic development. In the future, it will connect seven countries including Tanzania and Uganda, create nearly 70,000 jobs, and truly realize the prosperity of seven countries all the way.
China-Europe trains
The China-Europe Express connects Eurasia and China's hinterland countries, promotes the interconnection of electronic products, home appliances and automobiles, and creates an economic corridor across the Eurasian continent.
As of the end of March 2024, the China-Europe Railway Express has operated more than 87,000 trains, reaching 222 cities in 25 European countries, opening up a new land transport channel and a new bridge for economic and trade cooperation in Eurasia by virtue of its all-weather, large-volume, green, low-carbon, efficient and convenient advantages, creating a resilient international logistics supply chain, and building a safe and smooth production and supply chain lifeline in a turbulent world.
In the past 10 years, the "Yixinou" China-Europe Express has brought 2.1 million kinds of Yiwu commodities to all over the world, and also brought back 100,000 kinds of commodities from more than 100 countries and regions.
Overall, the China-Europe freight train has alleviated the trade imbalance between China and Europe to a certain extent and created employment opportunities for countries along the route. In addition, the China-Europe Railway Express is of great significance in promoting the regional economic integration of the Silk Road Economic Belt, which is conducive to the close connection and common development of Eurasia.
Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway
The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway officially started construction on October 21, 2015, and after many delays and difficulties, it was finally officially put into operation on October 2, 2022, becoming the first stop of China's high-speed rail overseas journey. The ticket price of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is 350,000 rupiah, equivalent to about 165 yuan, and it only takes 40 minutes to travel from Jakarta to Bandung, which is nearly 3 hours faster than the original meter-gauge train, greatly shortening the time and space distance between the two places, and bringing a convenient and comfortable travel experience to the Indonesian people.
The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is not only a transportation infrastructure project, but also an important carrier for deepening strategic cooperation between China and Indonesia. Its completion and opening to traffic will further strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, cultural and other fields, and promote the building of a closer China-Indonesia community with a shared future.
China-Malaysia Friendship Bridge
As one of the world's most famous island resorts, the Maldives has its share of troubles – no bridges. The only way to get around the islands is by boat, and traffic is interrupted in the event of extreme weather. Having a bridge across the sea that connects the capital city of Malé to the airport island and neighbouring islands has been a dream of the Maldivian people for generations.
On August 30, 2018, after two years and eight months, the first sea-crossing bridge in the Maldives was completed. The China-Malaysia Friendship Bridge is not only the first modern bridge in the Maldives, but also the world's first sea-crossing bridge built in an unsheltered environment of the deep sea and coral reef geology. Located in the North Male Atoll of the Maldives, the bridge crosses the Gaadhoo Koa Strait and connects Malé, Airport Island and Hulhumale Island in the Maldives.
The opening of the China-Malaysia Friendship Bridge has also further promoted the economic development and tourism prosperity of the Maldives, bringing tangible benefits to local residents.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
In 2013, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative, was officially launched. Subsequently, a number of energy, transportation and infrastructure projects under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have been implemented one after another.
Early harvest projects under construction or already completed under the framework of the corridor, such as the Gwadar port, also provide a solid foundation for future cooperation between the two countries. In addition, the new Gwadar International Airport, the China-Pakistan Friendship Hospital, the Vocational Training School, the Desalination Plant, the Fasong Middle School and other projects that have been built and are under construction have laid the foundation for local development.
China-Belarus Industrial Park
Belarus is one of the first countries to respond to and actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative. Jushi China-Belarus Industrial Park is a cooperation project between China and Belarus under the Belt and Road Initiative, and is also the largest industrial park of China overseas. After nearly a decade of development, this project, which is jointly cared for and promoted by the leaders of the two countries, has become a modern park with complete infrastructure, superior business environment and advanced business philosophy, and the largest investment attraction project in Belarus, known as the "Pearl of the Belt and Road".
The key development of high-tech and innovative industries in the park, such as machinery manufacturing, e-commerce, new materials, etc., will help to form an agglomeration effect, and improve the upstream and downstream supporting facilities to form a complete industrial chain.
In the past 10 years, the Belt and Road Initiative has traversed East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and reached Europe, forming six major economic corridors. The Maritime Belt and Road Initiative connects the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean from the South China Sea.
In the past 10 years, more than 3/4 of the world's countries have been connected by it, and countries along the way have continuously sent outstanding students to learn China's technology, culture and language.
08 financial turmoil, China became the only safe haven, a large influx of foreign exchange to China at the same time, but also hindered the RMB to the world, at that time the Belt and Road Initiative proposed along the lack of funds, the mainland overcapacity, a complementary and win-win idea is about to emerge, countries along the route to provide land, China to provide funds, contract projects, in the consumption of too much foreign exchange at the same time try to prevent and control debt risk. Three years later, the renminbi became the fifth largest currency in the world.
We have not only sold things, but also internationalized the renminbi, after the start of the trade war, China can quickly gain a firm foothold, indispensable to strong domestic demand as a support, but also inseparable from the world's developing countries to twist the rope as a rope, in the same boat.
China does not bring its military into Africa with its military in the past 100 years, destroying countries and killing people, and the practice of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative over the past decade has fully proved that China on the road to rejuvenation has not brought colonization, disasters, wars, refugees and crises to the world, but has brought economic growth and social prosperity.
China has always followed its own path, and the wind turbines we built in Kazakhstan have sought development, introduced Beidou to Laos, which is mutually beneficial and win-win, and has also supplied artemisinin to more than 30 African countries, bringing hope for a 97% cure rate.
With six corridors, six roads and multi-country ports, and all roads leading to China, the Belt and Road Initiative not only writes the prelude to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, but also transforms a community with a shared future for mankind from a promise into a reality.