One Belt One Road Europe
On 21 August 2018, the newly elected Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir announced the cancellation of three BRI projects in Malaysia, including the “East Coast Rail Link” (ECRL) and two pipelines. But Malaysia is still member of the BRI.
Since 2015, Europort-Lorraine has planned to develop rail transportation from China. A test convoy had left Chengdu on July 13, 2018, but this line needs improvements.
In September 2018, a Sino-Japanese committee on public and private investment along the new Silk Roads might be held in Beijing.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on July 30, 2018, at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum the upcoming launch of an infrastructure development plan for Asia.
After a first stop in the United Arab Emirates, Xi Jinping traveled from 21 to 28 July 2018 in four African countries, including South Africa, where he attended the 9th BRICS Summit.
On his way to Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a stopover in the United Arab Emirates, where he met with the Emirates leaders.
On July 9, 2018, was inaugurated the first flight operated by XL Airways connecting Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport to Jinan in Shandong.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met the leaders of the European Union in Beijing for the annual EU-China summit on July 16, 2018.
Li Keqiang participated in the 7th 16 + 1 Framework Heads of State Summit held in Sofia, Bulgaria. The 16 + 1 mechanism brings together China and sixteen states of Central and Eastern Europe and aims to strengthen relations between the two regions.
China and Myanmar continue negotiating on the construction of Kyaukpyu Port in Rakhine State. Kyaukpyu is expected to become a major economic center on the Bay of Bengal through the construction of a deep-water port and the opening of a special economic zone.