A session titled ’How will the Belt and Road develop in the future?’ was held in Dalian on June 23 at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 (Summer Davos), where participants exchanged views on the initiative’s future path.
2026 marks the 13th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade-plus, cooperation projects between China and partner countries have moved from vision to reality, broadly improving people’s wellbeing.
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov stressed that the BRI has opened a new chapter for Eurasian development. Kazakhstan has used the platform to expand partnerships, deepen mutual trust and promote investment cooperation. Going forward, he looks forward to stronger infrastructure connectivity and logistics digitalization — using e-documents, smart customs, real-time data exchange and AI to optimize transport flows, cut logistics costs and raise efficiency.
Changes brought by the BRI are happening across Africa. Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah said hybrid rice technology has taken root in Guinea, helping people ’defeat hunger’; he hopes technical cooperation will let people learn advanced methods and improve local agriculture.
BRI countries are mostly developing economies whose credit ratings generally lag developed ones, making comprehensive financing costs high. ICBC President Liu Jun suggested uniting various credit enhancement institutions in project financing — introducing guarantee, export credit, insurance and credit reporting agencies — and using complete logistics and information flows for precise pricing so financing costs truly reflect industry and trade conditions.
This year marks the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and the first year of full independent customs operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port. Governor Liu Xiaoming said Hainan is building a two-way land-sea gateway hub, exploring smart port clearance and cross-border digital trade services, hoping these explorations will accumulate practical experience for the Digital Silk Road.
