China’s Government Work Report outlines BRI blueprint

China will strive for solid progress in pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and will advance both major signature projects and "small and beautiful" public wellbeing projects and produce a number of exemplary cooperative project deliverables, according to a Government Work Report submitted Wednesday to the national legislature for deliberation.

The statement on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) development blueprint in the Government Work Report is crucial for guiding global BRI cooperation in its second decade, especially amid rising protectionism and unilateralism that pose unprecedented challenges to global trade, some National People's Congress (NPC) deputies and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee members told the Global Times.

They also expect emerging technological sectors, which are representatives of China's new quality productive forces and embody China's industrial comparative advantages, such as new energy vehicle and digital economy, to be the focal point of BRI cooperation this year, fostering more technological exchanges, contributing to local capacity-building, and bringing more mutually beneficial results for BRI partner countries.

According to the Government Work Report, China will "ensure the stable and smooth operation of China-Europe freight trains and accelerate the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor." The country will also guide the sound, secure, and orderly growth of outbound investment, strengthen comprehensive overseas services, including legal, financial, and logistics support, and improve the layout of international cooperation in industrial and supply chains.

'Small and beautiful' public wellbeing projects

Xu Shilong, a CPPCC National Committee member and chairman of Shanghai Geoharbour Group, told the Global Times on Thursday that while China has made globally influential progress in large-scale flagship BRI basic infrastructure projects in recent years, it is also the right time to focus on "small and beautiful" public wellbeing projects that foster inclusive growth and deliver tangible benefits to the local communities in BRI partner countries.

"A lot of developing countries are in urgent need of China's newly rising technologies. As such, in addition to traditional large-scale enterprises, private small but specialized and innovative companies should also seize the opportunities to accelerate expansion in BRI partner countries this year," Xu said.

He noted that these private "small giants" form industrial chain consortia during overseas expansion, which would not only elevate their global competitiveness and enable them to collaboratively address challenges in legal affairs, financing, and logistics, but also facilitate the establishment of technical training platforms in the local community.

According to Xu, the platforms are tasked with training local technical personnel and facilitating the localized production of relevant BRI projects. In this way, it could translate the benefits of technological cooperation into "a stronger sense of recognition and well-being for local communities and further bridge people-to-people connectivity under the BRI."

Wang Lizong, a CPPCC National Committee member and president of the Guangdong High-Tech Industry Association, told the Global Times on Wednesday that he also expects there will be more technological transfers to countries in ASEAN, Africa and Latin America as BRI marches further.

"It is essential that pragmatic BRI cooperation helps train more skilled local workers and technicians in BRI partner countries, enabling them to establish relatively complete industrial and supply chains," Wang explained.

Take BRI cooperation in ASEAN as an example. Local scholars expect it to usher in another "golden decade" of development this year. Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Research Center of the Belt and Road Initiative, said that the investment from a number of Chinese NEV-makers under the BRI framework has helped Thailand rise as a NEV manufacturing hub in ASEAN.

"The industrial and supply chain collaboration driven by NEV industry cooperation between China and Thailand has become a key focus of BRI cooperation. It also served as a new growth engine for both economies and the ASEAN region," he added.

'Go deeper and broader'

According to the Government Work Report, last year, impressive strides were made in pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and steady progress was secured in a number of major projects and public wellbeing programs.

Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, pointed out that the work on BRI could prioritize ensuring smooth logistics corridors this year. "Amid rising global trade uncertainties, China seeks to strengthen trade and logistics connectivity through high-quality BRI cooperation, particularly by advancing the China-Europe freight trains."

She added that the report highlighted the need for an integrated service framework to mitigate risks and guide investment, and it is expected that the Chinese policymakers will put emphasis on providing legal and financial support for Chinese enterprises' investments in BRI partner countries.

Lin Songtian, a member of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC, described BRI as a landmark project of enduring significance that connects the five continents and fosters prosperity for all of humanity, benefiting both present and future generations. The comments were made as he attended a group interview ahead of the opening meeting of the third session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee on Tuesday.

Jiang Haoran, a CPPCC National Committee member and chairman of financial company Cashway Tech, told the Global Times that he expected the building of BRI to achieve greater breakthroughs in both depth and breadth, bringing more positive impacts to global development.

Song said that positive advancement in BRI also demonstrates China's commitment to providing public goods by enhancing trade and financial channels. This approach of creating a favorable business environment and identifying opportunities for global capital also reflects China's confidence in driving global economic growth.