By Zhou Zide (People’s Daily Online) 11:01, April 29, 2025
It has been a busy spring for both Beijing and Washington: the former is expanding high-standard opening-up, advocating free trade, safeguarding multilateralism, and promoting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), while the latter has been preoccupied with launching tariff wars, withdrawing from international organizations, implementing protectionism, and cutting foreign aid.
According to an article in the U.S. magazine Politico, the U.S. government is contemplating a complete revamp of foreign aid programs with the intention of being “more focused and better positioned to take on China” and establishing “a powerful counterweight to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.”
From spreading rumors about “debt traps,” launching the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative, to reforming its foreign aid system, the U.S. has never abandoned its attempts to undermine the BRI.
What kind of magic does the BRI possess that, despite repeated U.S. suppression and sabotage, makes it still widely welcomed by people in over 150 countries? The following stories may provide an answer.
Spreading brightness
“I never imagined Chinese doctors would not only cure my eye disease but also bring light and hope to the Eritrean people,” said Arayfame, a 74-year-old patient who regained her sight through the “Brightness Action,” a pro bono project under the BRI.
In December 2019, seven Chinese ophthalmologists and three assistants traveled over 7,000 kilometers to Eritrea for a 21-day “Brightness Action” mission. They provided free eye treatments to approximately 1,250 local patients. Among them was a family of four all suffering from cataracts. After surgery, the youngest girl’s vision remarkably improved to 1.0.
“Messengers of light” is how Eritreans affectionately refer to these Chinese doctors.
The “Brightness Action” has been implemented by Chinese medical teams in over 70 countries across Asia, Africa, and Central America, not only restoring sight but also significantly enhancing local capacities for cataract treatment.
Economic resilience
For decades, transportation constraints hindered Laos’ economic development. The China-Laos Railway, a landmark BRI project, transformed this reality. Stretching 1,035 kilometers, it connects Kunming, capital of China’s Yunnan Province, with Vientiane, Laos’ capital.
The railway dramatically reduced travel times between major Laotian cities. The journey from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, previously a 10-hour ordeal, now takes just three hours by high-speed train.
Moreover, the innovative “China-Laos Railway + China-Europe Freight Train” model has slashed rail transportation time from Laos to Europe to just 15 days. As a Laotian official noted, “The China-Laos Railway has transformed Laos from a landlocked nation into a land-linked hub.”
Since its December 2021 inauguration, the railway has transported 45 million passengers and 50.7 million tons of goods, boosting cross-border trade, tourism, and logistics while significantly enhancing Laos’ economic resilience.
Shared innovation
“Egypt has always dreamed of achieving self-reliance in space technology. Our ultimate goal is to independently develop satellites from start to finish,” said Amande Raphael, a 70-year-old Egyptian professor.
Through BRI cooperation with China, this dream became reality.
In December 2023, China successfully launched a satellite co-developed with Egypt into space. Chinese experts provided comprehensive training in satellite design, assembly, and testing, with Egyptian technicians actively participating throughout the process.
This technology transfer and talent development initiative made Egypt the first African nation with complete satellite assembly and testing capabilities, and the first in the region to achieve localized satellite development.
A further discussion
The BRI’s magic lies in its unique combination of Brightness, Resilience, and Innovation—qualities that sustain its global appeal despite challenges.
This brightness endures, continuously illuminating development paths. The resilience persists, unbroken by external pressures. The innovation is shared unconditionally, fostering collective progress.
As reciprocal tariffs fragment global trade systems, the BRI’s role becomes increasingly vital. Notably, while the U.S. accounts for just 13 percent of global trade, the remaining 87 percent represents immense untapped potential.
There is growing anticipation for the BRI to unlock this potential through enhanced infrastructure connectivity, harmonized standards, and renewed trade liberalization. By fulfilling these expectations, the BRI will undoubtedly demonstrate even greater vitality.
(The author is an international affairs commentator) (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
