One Belt One Road Europe
On December 9, 2018, the Halogaland bridge was inaugurated near Narvik in Norway in the presence of Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway and Wang Min, Chinese Ambassador to Oslo. The construction of an Arctic route, connecting northern Europe with China, is an opportunity to develop its northernmost regions.
After Chile, Ecuador also joined the news Silk roads. Latin American states seem increasingly open to a lasting partnership with Beijing. On December 11, 2018, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno arrived in Beijing for a three-day official visit, during which he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
After attending the G20 summit in Buenos Aires and stopping in Panama, on his way home, President Xi Jinping visited Portugal on December 4, 2018. President Xi Jinping met with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and his Prime Minister. Lisbon has responded favorably to the China’s new Silk Roads’ program.
French adn Chinese foreign ministers, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Wang Yi, in a joint declaration, expressed their strongest political commitment to respect the Paris agreements on climate change and affirmed their support for the next COP24 to be held in Katowice.
Before heading to Buenos Aires for the G20 summit, the Chinese president made a stopover in Madrid for a three-day visit (27-29 November 2018). Xi Jinping met with the royal couple and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
On November 20 and 21, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping made an official visit to Manila and met with his counterpart Rodrigo Duterte. Philippines are now officially part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Following the APEC summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (November 17-18, 2018), several Pacific states leaders confirmed their intention to join in the BRI
China and Singapore upgraded their Free trade Agreement. This FTA now mentions the Belt and Road Initiative.
Both countries also agreed to further develop the International Land Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) or Chongqing Connectivity Initiative.
Chile reaffirmed its willingness to increase trade with China. On October 1, 2018, Roberto Ampuero, the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that his country would soon join the BRI.
Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross announced that he hoped to convince China to launch a humanitarian project equivalent to that of the BRI.