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Walter Nyamukondiwa in BEIJING, China

THE impact of China’s transformative and revolutionary Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), creating the infrastructure to make trade better, cheaper and greater, comes into focus this week at the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation where implementation modalities and outcomes will be reviewed and fine-tuned.

A Zimbabwean delegation led by Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona is expected to attend the forum where Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver the keynote address tomorrow.

The forum is running under the theme, “High Quality Belt and Road Co-operation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity”. 

Credited for the modernisation of infrastructure and transfer of technologies into developing nations, the BRI, which China initiated in 2013, has grown to lay the backbone for trade and development in most countries including those in Africa.

Funding at concessionary and favourable rates has been the hallmark of the initiative, leading to the construction of modern railway infrastructure, roads and bridges, energy projects and climate change-related interventions.

The forum starts today, ending tomorrow, and will include three high-level forums, running concurrently to discuss connectivity, green development and the digital economy.

At least six other thematic forums will run in parallel interrogating topics on trade connectivity, people-to-people bonds, think-tank exchanges, sub-national cooperation, the clean Silk Road across Eurasia and maritime co-operation.

It will also include a CEO conference.

Speaking at a media briefing, director-general of the Department of International Co-operation in China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ms Zhou Guomei, said China and its co-operating partners have committed to fully infuse green development into the BRI.

“Green Belt and Road have become an important aspect for implementing the global development initiative, the global security initiative, the global civilisation initiative and building communities for human and nature,” she said.

“Co-operation projects in the field of green infrastructure and green energy, green transport and green finance attaining realty from the vision, has been the defining feature of the Belt and Road Co-operation.”

Ms Zhou said the concept of green development had been deepened, international co-operation platforms improved and pragmatic cooperation measures have been advanced over the years.

China was working to build capacity in co-operating countries in green energy development, ecological management and reduce the overall carbon footprint.

The BRI roadmap, Ms Zhou said, seeks to leverage on and enhance co-operating countries’ environmental laws and practice.

Zimbabwe-China co-operation and trade dates back to ancient trade in pottery, gold and iron, which was later elevated through China’s support for the country’s Independence.

It has now shifted to partnerships in mining, energy development projects including upgrading of Kariba South Power Station and Hwange Thermal Station.

At Kariba South hydro station, the expansion saw the addition of 300MW with two new units so Zimbabwe Power Company can flexibly cope with peak demand, while a combined 600MW was added following the upgrade of Hwange Thermal Power Station to fill the gap in the base load.

PowerChina, through Sinohydro, undertook the upgrade of Hwange Power Station, which has considerably reduced load shedding.

Zimbabwe has been undertaking infrastructure projects using internally generated funds and further co-operation with China, through the BRI, is expected to spur rapid development.

The forum will also look at enhancing blue co-operation aimed at improving the management of oceans and sustainable use of maritime resources.