The Belt and Road Initiative is a huge project, with a trade and infrastructure network spanning across continents.

We can break it down into two parts, with the first one being the "belt": think of it as some of the world's great railway journeys, and road journeys too - overland transport links across China to Central Asia and Europe, based on ancient trading routes. It's called the Silk Road Economic Belt.  

And then, a maritime "road" of shipping lanes connecting ports, reaching all the way to the Mediterranean and Africa, and known as the Maritime Silk Road.

On the ancient silk road that dates back more than 2,000 years, it was camels that transported everything between the East and the West. In the old days the cargo was spices, porcelain and of course, silk. Today those camels have been replaced by trains, carrying a myriad of products and consumer goods that are part of our daily lives.

Trade between China and countries along the Belt and Road hit a record high in 2022, of nearly two trillion dollars, up by nearly a fifth on the the previous year. 

As of June this year, China had signed cooperation agreements with 152 countries and 32 international organizations, which involves more than 60 percent of the world's population and nearly a third of the world's GDP. 

The Belt and Road Initiative focuses on five key areas - policy, infrastructure, trade, finance, and cultural exchanges. Developing infrastructure is critical, with ports, bridges and power plants being built in countries along the Belt and Road.

With the world facing a number of current challenges, China believes the Belt and Road Initiative can act as a global platform, where countries can work together to further boost global development.

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