“一带一路”的格局有多大？看完震撼了！

For centuries globalization was largely shaped by sea. While Western maritime nations rapidly developed through colonial expansion, landlocked nations were trapped in a cycle of exploitation and poverty.

Over the past decade, a transformative initiative has begun to break this cycle and is revitalizing the economies of inland countries. That is the Belt and Road Initiative, established in 2013.

These intercontinental railways have greatly reduced trade costs by providing a swift and cost-effective alternative to sea or air freight, thereby driving the growth of global trade.

According to the World Bank, the Belt and Road Initiative could reduce global trade costs by as much as 1.8 percent.

There are now 86 freight train lines in China that are linked to more than 200 cities in 25 European countries and regions and more than 100 cities in Asia, so the network covers almost the entire landmass of Eurasia.

This network has brought together the economies of East Asia and developed Europe with the vast hinterland countries, resulting in increased economic and trade exchanges, the growth of thriving cities, and the emergence of a new center of global economic growth.

By tackling infrastructure disparities in developing countries, the initiative is helping dismantle obstacles that had long hampered their development.

The China-Laos Railway brings to fruition a long-held dream of the Lao people to transform their country from a landlocked one to a land-linked hub.

The Mombasa-Nairobi Railway has created 46,000 jobs and added more than two percentage points to local economic growth. It has also revitalized more than 30 towns along the route, leading to a new wave of urbanization in the area.

Nigeria now has its first modern deep seaport Lekki, which is forecast to create nearly 170,000 jobs and generate revenue of $361 billion over the next 45 years.

The initiative has facilitated the adoption of clean energy in Africa, helping it avoid the pollution associated with Western industrialization.

The Belt and Road Initiative has attracted the participation of more than three-quarters of countries globally, substantially improving the lives of 30 percent of the world’s population.

The initiative has generated nearly a trillion dollars in investment in the past decade, created 420,000 local jobs and lifted nearly 40 million people out of poverty. 

It should not be forgotten that China's role in developing infrastructure in less well-off countries is something their Western colonial masters never did. And contrary to what Western cynics say, that help comes with no strings attached. For China, everything these countries gain from its help is a gain for the world.