Amid the waves of Taihu Lake, thousands of sails race along the ancient path of the Silk Road. At the new stage of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Wuxi has deeply integrated itself into this grand global vision. The city plays an active role in areas such as economic and trade collaboration, industrial integration, and international exchange—striving not only to be a participant, but also a promoter of high-quality cooperation and a connector of open partnerships.
Mutual Benefit: Expanding Horizons in Economic and Trade Cooperation
Economic and trade ties are among the clearest indicators of the Belt and Road Initiative’s success. In the first half of 2025, Wuxi launched 71 investment projects in Belt and Road countries, with Chinese contractual investment rising by 64.2%, accounting for 87.7% of the city’s total investment. Meanwhile, 27 projects from Belt and Road countries were newly established in Wuxi, bringing in 750 million USD in utilized foreign capital.
Projects led by Huaguang Energy, a Wuxi-based enterprise, illustrate this progress vividly. In Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya 1600 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant Project, two 9H waste heat boilers produced at Wuxi’s Intelligent Manufacturing Base have been fully installed. This project is the largest combined cycle power plant in Central Asia, expected to generate 12 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually—an example of how “Made in Wuxi” contributes to partner countries’ energy transitions. At the same time, the Indonesia Thermal Power Plant Project, jointly developed with Malaysia’s Qili Aluminum, has entered the commissioning phase.
Throughout the first half of the year, Wuxi enterprises accelerated their overseas expansion. Energy projects in Iraq, Kazakhstan, Guinea, and the Philippines are moving forward, enhancing the global reputation of the “Made in Wuxi” brand through efficient and eco-friendly energy solutions.
Two-Way Interaction: Balancing “Going Global” and “Bringing In”
While encouraging local enterprises to “go global,” Wuxi is also actively attracting foreign investment. A prime example is Magnus Aircraft Manufacturing, a Hungarian company that established its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Wuxi last year. “Here we found an excellent industrial foundation and an innovative ecosystem,” said CEO László Boros. This year, the Magnus Aviation Industrial Project will settle in the Wuxi Aerospace Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park, using the city as a base to expand into Asian and African markets.
In 2025, Wuxi actively implemented its “Silk Road Trade” promotion program. The number of international exhibitions involving partner countries rose to 154—over 50% of the total for the first time. During the Yangtze River Delta Cross-Border E-commerce Fair, 44 Wuxi enterprises signed preliminary deals worth over 25 million USD, covering sectors such as high-end textiles, smart home appliances, and machinery.
According to Wuxi Customs, from January to July 2025, the city’s total trade volume with Belt and Road countries reached 242.9 billion yuan—up 10.3% year-on-year—accounting for 52.8% of its total foreign trade.
From traditional manufacturing to the export of “new three key sectors,” and from face-to-face trade fairs to digital commerce platforms, Wuxi continues to broaden the scope of economic cooperation—writing new stories of mutual benefit along the path of the Belt and Road.