One Belt One Road Europe
The Belgian port of Zeebrugge is expected to become a new hub of the Belt and Road initiative. Zeebrugge, the port of Bruges, is the second largest container port in Belgium after Antwerp, and the sixth in the Channel-North Sea region (2016). It is also the leading European port for car transportation.
Hans Dietmar Schweisgut, the European Union’s ambassador to China, announced on January 10 that the European Union was working on a connection project between Europe and Asia that could be linked to China’s Belt and Road initiative.
On January 12, 2018, a new fiber optic network connecting Nepal to China was inaugurated in Kathmandu. Until then, Nepal was entirely dependent on India for its access to internet. Another cable had already been launched by China in December
Priority to Africa After a visit to Xian, President Macron went to Beijing on January 9, 2018. He discussed with president Xi Jinping about environmental issues. The two states may increase their cooperation in Africa. One of the main outputs
President Emmanuel Macron began his three-day visit to China in Xian, the ancient capital of the Silk Road, before going to Beijing. The French president showed his commitment to the new Silk Roads; he said in an interview with the
On December 7, 2017, China and Maldives signed a free trade agreement. During his state visit in China, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom promised to promote the Belt and Road initiative. The Maldives have already expressed their willingness to
In his new year address, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that China would pursue the realization of the new Silk Roads. China will continue to play a major role in international affairs by supporting United Nations decisions and respecting its
In early December 2017, Kiev and Beijing signed a joint action plan to develop the new Silk Roads, Ukraine officially joined the “Belt and Road” initiative. Chinese Vice Prime Minister Ma Kai and Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman have signed
For the 40th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty, on December 19, 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he wanted to strengthen relations between the two countries. This announcement could eventually lead to a Japanese participation in
On 9 December 2017, Sri Lanka granted a 99-year concession over the commercial activities of the port of Hambantota to the Chinese company “China Merchants”. This acquisition is a new step in the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative.