The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Chinese government in 2013, is an economic framework designed to connect economies in East Asia and Europe. Its route will run through the world’s three major continents—Asia, Africa and Europe.
The Belt and Road Initiative, China's ambitious trans-Eurasia and across-ocean trade strategy, is taking shape as the country tries to build a large pool of capital to boost the drive.
There are 33 historical sites along the millennium-old trade route, with 22 in China's four provincial-level administrative regions (Shaanxi, Henan and Gansu provinces and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region) together with eight in Kazakhstan and three in Kyrgyzstan.
The principles, framework and cooperation priorities and mechanisms in its Belt and Road Initiative to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future together have been unveiled by China.
Dunhuang, a county-level city in Gansu, was a major stop on the ancient route and is best known for the nearby Mogao Caves
Northwest China's Xi'an city is ranked as the most competitive Chinese city in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, according to the latest survey taken in June by Hong Kong-based China Institute of City Competitiveness.
More than 2,000 years ago, people on the Eurasian continent opened trade routes connecting major civilizations across Asia, Europe and Africa. Today, China is reopening these rail and shipping routes to facilitate commerce and enrich culture.
How many firsts went into building the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road? Which European country was the first to sign a MOU with China? Which project was the first to get capital from the Silk Road Fund? Here's a list of the firsts.
It is expected that the AIIB will be formally established by the end of 2015, after the prospective founding members have signed and ratified the Articles of Agreement.
