Recently, a new maritime route was launched between Kuantan Port on Malaysia’s eastern coast and Beibu Gulf Port in China’s Guangxi province. Thanks to this new connection, Malaysian fruits such as durians and mangosteens can now be delivered directly to the Chinese market, while Chinese fertilizers and daily goods can enter the Southeast Asian market more efficiently. This development has brought fresh momentum to the high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) between China and its neighboring countries.
Neighboring countries have always been the primary partners and main beneficiaries of the BRI. Since 2013, when President Xi Jinping announced the vision of the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” during his visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia, China has pursued high-quality projects in collaboration with neighboring nations, based on the principles of consultation, joint construction, and shared benefits. These projects have brought tangible improvements to people’s lives and made significant contributions to the building of a shared regional development community. This commitment was reaffirmed during President Xi’s recent state visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, with notable progress such as the launch of the China–Vietnam railway cooperation mechanism, enhanced land-sea logistics connectivity with Malaysia, and the deepening of the China–Cambodia “Diamond Hexagon Cooperation.”
As of today, China has signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements with 25 neighboring countries. The initiative has been successfully aligned with various national strategies, including Russia’s Eurasian Economic Union, Kazakhstan’s “Bright Road” policy, and Mongolia’s “Steppe Road” initiative. Infrastructure projects such as Central Asia railway lines, the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, and the China–Laos railway have accelerated regional economic flows. Developments like the inauguration of Bangladesh’s first fully enclosed expressway further illustrate the growing pace of regional development. Projects in education, healthcare, technology, and culture under the BRI framework have also improved the quality of life for local populations and strengthened people-to-people ties across the region.