Braving wind and sun, camel caravans trekked along the ancient Silk Road, taking silk and tea from China to Central Asia and Europe more than 1,000 years ago. Now, clean energy products are delivered to Belt and Road countries via freight trains and flights, turning wind and sunshine into treasure.
While green development is becoming a global consensus, more and more Chinese enterprises have become strong forces in building a green Belt and Road.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
At the 2023 Euro-Asia Economic Forum, Nikolay Pomoshchnikov, head of the subregional office for North and Central Asia of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations, said that Central Asia has huge potential for renewable energy including solar energy, wind energy and hydropower and the forum provides a very good opportunity for cooperation with China and these countries.
The three-day forum concluded on Sunday in Xi’an, the capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.
Xi’an, also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, has witnessed green development through trade exchanges between China and BRI partners.
In late April this year, the city launched the first China-Europe freight train for the export of new energy vehicles (NEVs). Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that from January to August 2023, China exported 727,000 NEVs, a 1.1-fold year-on-year increase.
Last month, a train loaded with photovoltaic (PV) modules left Xi’an for Tashkent, Uzbekistan. These modules will serve a 1-gigawatt PV project in Uzbekistan, which will produce 2.4 billion kWh of clean energy annually, helping cut carbon emissions by up to 2.4 million tonnes.—Xinhua
