Connectivity projects under BRI log steady progress over past year: report

XI'AN, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Landmark connectivity projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have made steady progress over the past year, with their economic and social impacts becoming increasingly evident, significantly contributing to the modernization of partner countries, according to a think tank report released on Tuesday.

China announced support for eight initiatives aimed at advancing the high-quality development of the Belt and Road at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation convened in October 2023.

The construction of the China-Europe corridor, represented by the China-Europe Railway Express and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, has continued to improve in quality over the past year, said the report released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency.

So far, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, a multimodal transport route stretching over 11,000 kilometers and a crucial artery for transporting goods from Southeast Asia and China to Europe, has seen its annual cargo throughput reach approximately 6 million tonnes.

Since 2024, new China-Europe Railway Express routes have been launched via this corridor from Chinese cities such as Xi'an, Nanjing, Qingdao, and Jinan, connecting to countries like Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Italy. Driven by significant progress in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, the China-Europe Railway Express has continued to upgrade in quality.

Over the past year, new records have been set for the number of trains, transport capacity, and area coverage of the China-Europe Railway Express. From January to August, a total of 13,056 trains were dispatched, carrying about 1.399 million 20-foot equivalent units of goods, representing year-on-year increases of 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

Moreover, the "Silk Road Maritime" initiative has advanced the integrated development of port, shipping and trade, while the Air Silk Road has steadily progressed. About 10 new Silk Road Maritime routes have been added over the past year, bringing the total number to 132 by September 7. These routes now connect 145 ports across 46 countries and regions, according to the report.

The report, titled "'Eight Major Steps' Heralds Promising New Decade of Belt and Road Cooperation," was released at the Belt and Road Forum For International Think Tank Cooperation & the Second Silk Road (Xi'an) International Communication Forum.