Over the past decade, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has significantly contributed to the global economy while enhancing industrial capacity, inter-provincial connectivity and infrastructure development.
In China’s Henan province, these impacts are particularly visible, fueling socio-economic prosperity and a qualitative opening-up that is reshaping the region. Henan province and the BRI are complementary and form an ideal combination due to Henan’s strategic location, strong industrial base and the BRI’s emphasis on infrastructure development and connectivity. As a transportation hub—particularly through Zhengzhou Airport—Henan aligns well with the BRI’s goals of facilitating trade and economic integration. Its robust industrial base, encompassing both manufacturing and agriculture, further supports the BRI’s objective of promoting trade and economic cooperation, enabling Henan to supply goods and services to other participating countries.
Henan’s provincial economy stands for innovation, digitalization, modernization, AI and qualitative industrialization achieving new heights of economic stability and sustainability further strengthening strategic networking of the BRI. Its Xinzheng International Airport in Zhengzhou bustles with activity and its Zhengzhou-Luxembourg “Air Silk Road” air freight service offers more than 50-round trips each week. The increasing cargo capacity of Zhengzhou Airport (250-thousand tons in 2013 to 705-thousand tons in 2021), placing it sixth in China and among the top 40 global cargo airports showing its economic diversity and dynamic. Obviously, the expansion and connectivity of the Air Silk Road (ASR) spanning over 2-hundred cities in more than twenty European countries and some ninety cities across China vividly reflects its trans-regional connectivity, scope, utility and importance connecting people, minds, businessmen and investors. It is a good omen that through an efficient and convenient network Chinese consumer can purchase and receive goods from around the world, while Chinese products can enter local European markets at competitive prices. Thus the ASR is determined to build a logistics hub that connects domestic and international markets.
According to official data, over 8,700 enterprises in Henan are involved in cross-border e-commerce, with more than twenty of these companies achieving annual import and export volume exceeding 100-million Yuan. Moreover, five pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce and two national e-commerce demonstration cities in Henan Province are further strengthening its business and commerce potential. Critical analysis reveals that in the past decade, the ASR has significantly improved regional connectivity, strengthening economic and trade partnerships with other countries and regions. Hence it is transforming Zhengzhou, an inland city, becoming part of larger industrial chains and integrating into the world economy. It has successfully developed and diversified its agriculture productivity because of the ASR, cross-border e-commerce which has seen rapid development over the past decade. Its steady involvement and role within the BRI has immensely enhanced during the last decade mainly in four key areas: air, land, digital and sea.
Especially notable advancements at Zhengzhou Airport in the provincial capital, robust connectivity through China-Europe freight trains to multiple overseas destinations, a thriving cross-border e-commerce sector and improvements in intermodal transportation to expedite exports through shipping has further fostered its economy, industrial growth and qualitative opening-up and of course connectivity with the BRI. Additionally, its prioritized institutional innovation has built/supported its open economy, subsequently, the Pilot Free Trade Zone has implemented 546 reform and innovation measures, with 16 being promoted nationally. The province has already prioritized its high-quality participation in the BRI, continues to implement its strategy of institutional opening-up and capitalize on its market size, human resources, industrial base, transportation advantages and open channels aiming to innovate in terms of regulations, standards, management and rules and establish a high-quality connecting hub. It has also reinforced key infrastructure development to foster logistics advantages, establish a comprehensive opening-up system around its four key areas of air, land, digital and sea and further integrate into the global industrial and supply chains.
It bodes well that it has made significant strides toward high-quality development, anchored firmly in the real economy. From major industrial hubs to advanced infrastructure projects, the province’s development momentum is palpable across the central plains. It has released its list of key construction projects for 2025, identifying 1,037 provincial-level projects with a combined investment of around 3.1 trillion Yuan. It aims to complete investments totaling approximately 1 trillion Yuan within the year. Innovation, infrastructure enhancement and industrial transformation remain central to Henan’s priorities. The province targets the production of 2 million vehicles in 2025, including 1.4 million new energy vehicles. Meanwhile, it is accelerating construction of major projects such as an ethylene production facility and a fluoro-silicon materials complex in Luohe, alongside critical infrastructure projects including the Yellow River Crossing Project and Phase I project at Zhoukou Central Port.
Henan situated in the heart of China, Henan holds a unique and enduring significance stemming from its foundational role in Chinese civilization to its contemporary status as a major economic and agricultural center. Recent economic data clearly indicates a positive trajectory for Henan, with a GDP growth of 5.1 percent in 2024 and a strong start in the first quarter of 2025 with a 5.9 percent year-on-year increase. President Xi’s recent inspection trip to Henan, particularly to the Luoyang Bearing Group Co., Ltd., vividly reflecting the central government’s commitment to accelerating the development of advanced manufacturing in the region, bolstering the building of a modern industrial system in the province. Its active acceleration in manufacturing with strategic emerging industries like advanced equipment, electronic information and bio-medicine has become primary drivers for industrial growth which has further developed and diversified its provincial economy and welfare of the local communities.
Successful transitioning of its traditional industries into high-end, intelligent and green through technological upgrades and digital transformation has further geared its economy and productive channels achieving new targets of innovation and modernization. Hence, investment in high-tech manufacturing has increased by 20.9 percent in 2024, significantly higher than the national average of 8.9 percent. Products such as optical communication chips and sensors already hold leading market shares. It aims to achieve an annual production of over 1.5 million NEVs and establish a 300 billion Yuan ($41.7 million) NEV industry cluster by 2025 clearly demonstrating its immense industrial capacity swiftly shifting towards green technologies and transport systems. It has 17 complete vehicle manufacturing companies and over 600 automobile parts manufacturing enterprises, forming a comprehensive industrial chain from raw materials to core components and vehicle assembly.
Its research institutes focusing on NEVs, new energy power, energy storage battery materials and automotive electronics have also been put into place, with Henan leading in areas like intelligent connected buses and emergency braking systems. Henan is adopting new quality productive forces based on its local conditions, highlighting innovation-driven industrial growth. It has formed a high-level innovation platform system with 13 national-level laboratories and 20 provincial-level laboratories as the core in 2024, building comprehensive scientific and technological innovation centers like Central Science and Technology City, Central Medical Science City and Central Agricultural Valley, which promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial needs. In industrial clustering and investment, efforts are underway to build advanced economic hubs.
In 2023, Zhengzhou, made a three-year action plan to promote 20 key industry chains, ranging from smart terminals to energy conservation to environmental protection. Last but not least, its well-connected high-speed rail network and Zhengzhou Airport, is transforming its geographical advantage into a hub economic advantage. The Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone (ZAEZ) has experienced rapid industrial growth, particularly in computers, communication, electronic equipment and automotive manufacturing, with strategic emerging and high-tech industries contributing significantly to its value-added industrial output, forming a trillion-level electronic information industry cluster.
