Imagine connecting Asia, Europe and Africa as easily as sending a group chat invite 📲. That's the vision behind the Chinese mainland's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and from 2021 to 2025 it became more than an idea: trade with partner countries made up over 50% of its foreign trade!
According to Bao Shujun, director of the Foreign Liaison Office at the International Cooperation Center of the National Development and Reform Commission, a multidimensional connectivity framework is now in place:
- Land routes 🛤️ – high-speed railways linking cities across continents
- Sea lanes 🚢 – new shipping corridors boosting port-to-port trade
- Air corridors ✈️ – flight networks opening faster cargo and passenger links
- Digital highways 🌐 – cyberspace connections powering e-commerce and data exchange
As of early 2026, this network lays a solid foundation for deeper economic, trade and industrial capacity cooperation, as well as rich people-to-people exchanges. Young entrepreneurs and investors can tap into fresh opportunities, while travelers and culture enthusiasts will find ever-smoother routes to explore new destinations.
Keep an eye on how these partnerships evolve this year – the Belt and Road is gearing up for its next level of growth, and the journey is just getting started! 🌏✨
Reference(s):
Trade with Belt and Road partner countries maintains steady growth
cgtn.com
