The Zhitong Finance App learned that on November 11, the National Development and Reform Commission held the Endeavour “15th Five-Year Plan” series of press conferences to introduce the situation related to the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”. Regarding how the Ministry of Commerce will continue to deepen economic and trade cooperation between China and co-established countries during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, Song Lihong, first-level inspector of the General Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that it will be deployed in accordance with the “15th Five-Year Plan” plan outline, focusing on four aspects to continue deepening “Belt and Road” economic and trade cooperation. Among them, promote trade innovation and development. Deepen cooperation with co-built countries in green trade, cross-border e-commerce, etc., promote the import and export of foreign trade products from emerging industries, expand imports of high-quality commodities from the co-built countries, and better promote the development of the co-built national industry. Continue to grant zero tariff treatment to least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, and fully implement zero-tariff measures for countries that have established diplomatic relations with Africa. Vigorously develop trade in services, promote trade cooperation in R&D, design, etc., and promote the implementation of the “Thousand Sails Overseas” action plan for foreign cultural trade. Continuously expand digital trade.
Song Lihong also proposed continuing to deepen two-way investment. Promote investment cooperation with co-building countries, strengthen supply chain cooperation in the industrial chain, promote the signing of cooperation documents in the fields of green development, digital economy, blue economy, production and supply chain cooperation, and guide enterprises to steadily participate in cooperation in emerging fields such as green energy, green minerals, digital economy, and artificial intelligence. Improve the comprehensive overseas service system, build and make good use of the “one port, one stop, one platform”, and give full play to the role of platforms such as overseas economic and trade cooperation zones. Carefully build the “Invest in China” brand, create a first-class business environment, and attract more co-built countries to invest in China.
The transcript is as follows:
Li Chao:
Good morning to all media friends! Welcome to the press conference of the National Development and Reform Commission. I am Li Chao, Deputy Director of the Policy Research Office and press spokesman of the Commission.
Today is the fifth press conference in the National Development and Reform Commission's “Endeavour to the 15th Five-Year Plan” series. The theme is “Jointly Building the Belt and Road Initiative”. Jointly building the “Belt and Road” is the first global, large-scale, and comprehensive international economic cooperation initiative put forward by China after the reform and opening up. A special chapter in the “Outline” of the “15th Five-Year Plan” lays out “high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative”. Since this year, the National Development and Reform Commission and relevant departments have adhered to the guiding principles of joint discussion and sharing, openness, green and clean, and high standards to benefit people's livelihood and sustainability, and have solidly promoted the “15th Five-Year Plan” to jointly build a good start and high-quality development of the “Belt and Road”.
In order for everyone to better understand the situation, today we invited Mr. Liang Linchong, Director of the Regional Opening Department of the National Development and Reform Commission; Mr. Song Lihong, first-level inspector of the General Affairs Department of the Ministry of Commerce; Mr. Lu Zhuang, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment; and Mr. Zhao Lei, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department of the Ministry of Education, to attend the press conference.
First, let's ask Director Liang Linchong to introduce the relevant situation.
Liang Lin Chong:
Thank you to the host. Hello, media friends! Thank you for your long-term concern, attention and strong support for the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. First, I would like to introduce you to the progress of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the general considerations of the “15th Five-Year Plan” period. Since 2013, thanks to the joint efforts of all parties, the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” has insisted on connectivity as the main line. The fields of cooperation have continued to expand, the scope of cooperation has continued to expand, the level of cooperation has continued to rise, and international appeal, influence and cohesion have continued to increase, and significant achievements have been achieved. Practice has fully proved that the joint construction of the “Belt and Road Initiative” has not only led China to continue to deepen its opening-up to the outside world, injecting vitality into accelerating the construction of a new development pattern and promoting high-quality development; it has also raised the level of global connectivity, built a new platform for international cooperation, expanded new practices for global governance, brought more certainty and stability to a turbulent world, and promoted the establishment of a common destiny of mankind. The joint construction of the “Belt and Road” focuses on everyone gathering firewood and helping each other to go a long way. It advocates living well for themselves and making others have a good life. It practices connectivity, mutual benefit and mutual benefit, and seeks common development and win-win cooperation. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will continue to promote the Silk Road spirit of peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual benefit and win-win situation, adhere to the guiding principles of joint discussion and sharing, openness, green and clean, and high standards to benefit people's livelihood and sustainability, and work with all parties step by step to push practical cooperation to achieve results, unswervingly and systematically promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative on a steady and far-reaching path of high-quality development. The first is to continue to deepen the interface between development strategies. We will give full play to the role of a platform for multi-bilateral cooperation in various fields, further strengthen policy communication and strategic interface with co-building countries and international organizations, expand the common denominator of cooperation, and identify points of cooperation. At the same time, the overall management of joint “Belt and Road” cooperation plans has been continuously strengthened, implementation coordination and evaluation optimization have been strengthened, and the cooperation consensus has been effectively implemented into practical results. For example, since this year, we have signed new “Belt and Road” cooperation documents with co-building countries such as Gambia, Mozambique, Serbia, Egypt, and Botswana, which are rich in content and practical. The second is to continuously improve the layout of the three-dimensional interconnection network. We will continue to improve the “four in one” interconnection channel layout for land, sea, sky and network, raise the level of China-Europe train development, promote the integrated development of “Silk Road Shipping” port, navigation and trade, promote the construction of the Air Silk Road to improve quality and efficiency, and lay a more solid foundation for promoting economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchanges and personnel exchanges. The third is to comprehensively improve the quality and efficiency of practical cooperation. We will continue to expand trade and investment cooperation with co-building countries, actively promote the construction of “small but beautiful” projects, expand cooperation in emerging fields, deepen cultural exchanges in various fields, and continuously promote the improvement of people's livelihood and mutual understanding. Improve a diversified, sustainable and risk-controllable investment and financing system, enhance risk prevention and control capabilities, further promote the construction of a clean Silk Road, and continuously expand new space for the win-win development of the Belt and Road Initiative. I'll introduce these first, thank you!
CCTV News: In our interviews, government officials and business people in many countries believed that the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative is a popular international public product and platform for international cooperation. What are the main achievements of the National Development and Reform Commission in building the “Belt and Road” initiative?
Liang Lin Chong:
Thanks for the question. Since 2013, thanks to the joint efforts of all parties, the “Belt and Road” pragmatic cooperation has broadened and broadened, and the win-win cake has grown bigger and bigger, not only developing China but also benefiting the world. This report card is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
First, policy communication is more extensive and in-depth. We continue to strengthen our development strategy interface. We have signed “Belt and Road” cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations. Our partners cover three-quarters of the world's countries and major international organizations. The 3rd “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum was successfully held, resulting in nearly a thousand practical cooperation results. Dialogue and cooperation mechanisms have been jointly established with partners in more than 30 fields of expertise, including taxation, energy, disaster mitigation, and anti-corruption, forming multi-level and multi-field communication channels. In June of this year, we successfully hosted the “Belt and Road” sub-forum at the Summer Davos Forum, which attracted great attention and enthusiastic reactions from all parties.
Second, the connectivity of facilities is more accessible. We continue to build an integrated connectivity network with our co-built countries. The China-Europe train has opened up a new land transportation channel between Asia and Europe. More than 140,000 trains have been operated, the value of goods sent exceeds 560 billion US dollars, and 237 cities in 26 European countries have reached 237 cities. Trains across the Caspian Sea International Transport Corridor have achieved “daily operation”, and the overall operation of the North, China, and South Corridors have remained safe, stable and smooth. The “Silk Road Shipping” network continues to expand, and China's international container liner routes reach more than 100 countries and regions around the world. The joint construction of the inter-country air route network accelerated expansion, and the Sky Silk Road reached 66 cities in the jointly built countries.
Third, smooth trade is more mutually beneficial. Since 2024, the volume of goods trade between China and the co-built countries has stabilized at more than 50% of the total value of foreign trade, which has become a strong support for the smooth flow of domestic and international dual cycles. In the first three quarters of this year, China's import growth rate from the co-built countries reached 17.9%, which is 1.3 percentage points higher than the export growth rate. The trend of two-way interaction, mutual benefit and win-win situation is even more obvious. At the same time, we are actively promoting the signing of free trade agreements with co-established countries, deepening cooperation in the fields of customs, inspection and quarantine, certification and accreditation, and continuing to improve the level of liberalization and facilitation.
Fourth, financial access is becoming more and more diversified. Chinese financial institutions support cooperative projects with co-building countries through various market-based financing instruments. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund are operating steadily and strongly support the joint construction of practical “Belt and Road” cooperation. The “Belt and Road” Financing Guiding Principles were jointly approved with 28 countries, and the “Belt and Road” Debt Sustainability Analysis Framework was promoted and applied to enhance the sustainability of investment and financing. The internationalization of the renminbi has taken solid steps.
Fifth, mutual understanding among the people continues to be consolidated. We have carried out in-depth exchanges and cooperation with the co-building countries in the fields of culture, education, tourism, etc., and have established Silk Road-related alliances in theaters, museums, art festivals, libraries, art galleries, tourist cities, etc., providing an important platform for practical cooperation in culture, art, and tourism between China and foreign countries. We have also implemented “small but beautiful” projects such as bacteria technology and Luban workshop, which have enhanced the exchange and sharing of development ideas and experiences, and further promoted friendly exchanges and sharing of results.
Sixth, cooperation in emerging fields is progressing steadily. Cooperation in fields such as the digital economy and scientific and technological innovation has become a new highlight in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. For example, the number of “Silk Road e-commerce” partner countries expanded to 38, and digital trade cooperation continued to expand. Start construction of more than 80 “Belt and Road” joint laboratories. China's intelligent meteorological warning program “Mazu” has been implemented in 8 co-built countries. In addition, more than 50 countries are actively testing the early warning cloud business platform service. The “Mazu” program protects the safety of people's lives and property through early warning of extreme weather.
Seventh, the layout of regional openness is constantly being optimized. Through active integration into the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, China's central and western regions have gradually become “frontiers” of openness. The open development of coastal regions has taken the next level, and the construction of the “Belt and Road” core areas in Xinjiang and Fujian has continuously achieved new results. From January to October of this year, the container volume of railway and sea intermodal trains along the new land and sea corridors in the west exceeded 1 million TEUs. The Pinglu Canal was completed and opened to traffic, forming a major artery of opening up to the outside world through the southwest. In the first three quarters of this year, China's central and western regions accounted for 18.7% of the country's goods trade volume, an increase of 7.4 percentage points over the same period in 2013.
The achievement of these achievements has provided strong support for China to expand a high level of opening-up to the outside world and accelerate the construction of a new development pattern. It has made positive contributions to helping countries move towards modernization together, and has become a vivid practice of building a community of human destiny.
I'll answer those, thank you!
China Daily: Economic and trade cooperation is an important part of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. How will the Ministry of Commerce continue to deepen economic and trade cooperation between China and the co-established countries during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period?
Song Lihong:
Thank you for your question. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the Ministry of Commerce insisted on joint discussions, joint construction and sharing, and continued to expand the mutually beneficial space for “Belt and Road” economic and trade cooperation with the countries concerned. The scale of trade and investment continued to expand, the quality of cooperation was steadily improved, and the results continued to be demonstrated. It strongly promoted the joint economic and social development of the country, and made positive contributions to building an open world economy and promoting the building of a common destiny of mankind.
During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will continue to deepen “Belt and Road” economic and trade cooperation in four areas according to the outline of the “15th Five-Year Plan” plan.
The first is to promote trade innovation and development. Deepen cooperation with co-building countries in green trade, cross-border e-commerce, etc., promote the import and export of foreign trade products from emerging industries, expand imports of high-quality commodities from the co-built countries, and better promote the development of the co-built national industry. Continue to grant zero tariff treatment to least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, and fully implement zero-tariff measures for countries that have established diplomatic relations with Africa. Vigorously develop trade in services, promote trade cooperation in R&D, design, etc., and promote the implementation of the “Thousand Sails Overseas” action plan for foreign cultural trade. Continuously expand digital trade.
Second, continue to deepen two-way investment. Promote investment cooperation with co-building countries, strengthen supply chain cooperation in the industrial chain, promote the signing of cooperation documents in the fields of green development, digital economy, blue economy, production and supply chain cooperation, and guide enterprises to steadily participate in cooperation in emerging fields such as green energy, green minerals, digital economy, and artificial intelligence. Improve the comprehensive overseas service system, build and make good use of the “one port, one stop, one platform”, and give full play to the role of platforms such as overseas economic and trade cooperation zones. Carefully build the “Invest in China” brand, create a first-class business environment, and attract more co-built countries to invest in China.
The third is to promote the implementation of the project to be effective. Promote the quality and efficiency of foreign-contracted projects, deepen cooperation in fields such as green infrastructure and new infrastructure, continuously enhance the influence of major cooperative projects, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win situation. Improve the quality and efficiency of foreign aid implementation, and carefully organize and implement more projects in the fields of people's livelihood, such as agriculture, transportation, health, education, environmental protection, and poverty reduction. Continue to build “small but beautiful” brands such as Strong Bacteria Technology and “Cloud Lecture Hall”. Promote the “double garden” cooperation between China, Malaysia, China and Indonesia.
Fourth, continue to improve the institutional platform. Give full play to the role of mechanisms such as the Bilateral Economic and Trade Joint Committee, the Trade Smooth Working Group, and the Investment Cooperation Working Group, and strengthen communication and interface with the co-built countries. Expand the “Silk Road E-commerce” circle of friends, continue to carry out “Silk Road E-commerce Benefits the World” theme activities, and promote high-quality products from partner countries to enter the Chinese market through e-commerce channels. Continue to organize major exhibitions such as the China Import and Export Fair, the China International Import Expo, the China International Trade in Services Fair, the Global Digital Trade Fair, and the China International Investment and Trade Fair, and build a platform for joint economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between countries.
I'll answer those, thank you!
China Youth Daily: The outline of the “15th Five-Year Plan” emphasizes the need to expand and jointly establish cultural exchange channels in the fields of education and other fields with the country. How will the Ministry of Education deepen joint “Belt and Road” education cooperation during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period?
Zhao Lei:
Thank you for your interest in education and support. Since the launch of the “Belt and Road” initiative in 2013, the Ministry of Education has thoroughly implemented the “Belt and Road” education initiative, carefully planned and made precise efforts, and built a number of key brands in the fields of vocational education, engineer education, teacher education, and Chinese language education. Up to now, China has built and operated 36 “Luban workshops”, 40 “Chinese workshops”, and 9 outstanding overseas engineering colleges. In addition, 22 branches of the Global Teacher Development Institute have carried out teacher training for the co-built countries, continuously consolidating the social foundation of the “Belt and Road” initiative.
In June of this year, the State Council issued the “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for Education Development”, which regards deepening cooperation with the “Belt and Road” countries as an important element. Looking forward to the future, the Ministry of Education will continue to play the leading, fundamental and strategic role of education, promote joint “Belt and Road” education cooperation at a high level, and provide support and guarantee for the high-quality development of the “Belt and Road”.
The first is to focus on talent development to provide talent support for the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Strengthen the “Study in China” brand and capacity building, improve the management service chain for studying in China, improve the quality of admissions and training, and cultivate more localized high-quality talents for the joint construction of a nation. Continue to strengthen the training of high-level talents and discipline development, such as foreign-related rule of law, international communication, and non-common languages. Relying on exchange activities such as sister schools in basic education, the World Vocational Colleges and Universities Skills Competition, and the China International University Student Innovation Competition, Chinese and foreign young people can go in both directions, learn from each other, and grow together.
The second is to focus on brand leadership to help jointly build the economic and social development of the “Belt and Road” countries. Actively meet the development needs of the co-building country, and jointly build projects such as the Luban Workshop, the Overseas Institute of Outstanding Engineers, and the Chinese Language Workshop to cultivate more high-quality technical and skilled talents for the co-building of the country and enhance its sustainable development capabilities. We continue to share Chinese educational concepts, standards, and programs that are widely recognized around the world in fields such as vocational education, digital intelligence education, and teacher development.
The third is to focus on platform construction and expand the “Belt and Road” education cooperation circle of friends. Organize international conferences such as the World Conference on Digital Education and the World Conference on the Development of Vocational and Technical Education. Promote dialogue, academic exchanges, and civic exchanges with the governments of the co-founded countries in all aspects, improve the mechanisms of education ministers meeting between China and Central Asia, the SCO, the BRICS countries, etc., and build and make good use of platforms such as the China-Central Asia Education Exchange and Cooperation Center.
Securities Times: Cooperation in emerging fields is an important growth point for the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. What work will the National Development and Reform Commission focus on during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period in jointly building “Belt and Road” cooperation in emerging fields?
Liang Lin Chong:
Thanks for the question. We will work with relevant departments to solidly promote cooperation in emerging fields such as digital, innovation, green, and health to effectively help build high-quality development along the “Belt and Road”. First, cooperation in the digital field has reached a new level. A new digital economy cooperation document was signed with 8 countries this year. Complete 19 tasks to create the “Silk Road E-commerce” Cooperation Pilot Zone with high quality. Second, cooperation in the field of innovation has achieved new progress. Actively play the role of a joint committee on scientific and technological cooperation between national governments and governments. Cooperate with the joint establishment of national scientific research institutions, such as joint research, talent training, and exchanges with young scientists. Third, cooperation in the green field is showing a new atmosphere. The “Belt and Road” Green Innovation Conference 2026 was successfully held. The number of official members of the “Belt and Road” Green Development International Alliance has expanded to 64, with partners covering more than 190 institutions in nearly 50 countries. Fourth, new progress has been made in cooperation in the field of health. Deepen joint research and technical research with national scientific research institutions in fields such as disease prevention and control. Up to now, we have established counterpart partnerships with 48 hospitals in 43 countries to jointly carry out joint scientific research and clinical trials.
Next, we will work with relevant departments to closely follow the “15th Five-Year Plan” outline deployment, continue to improve international exchange and cooperation mechanisms in emerging fields, and achieve more results in building practical “Belt and Road” cooperation. The first is to build a digital silk road with high quality. Actively carry out cooperation in the fields of smart cities, smart industries, smart agriculture, smart medical care, and smart education. Support the development of new business formats and models such as cross-border e-commerce. The second is to build and innovate the Silk Road with high quality. Deeply implement the “Belt and Road” science and technology innovation action plan to promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation. The third is to build a green silk road with high quality. Promote cooperation in green infrastructure, green energy, green transportation, green finance, etc., deepen cooperation on climate change, and build closer partnerships for green development. Fourth, build a healthy Silk Road with high quality. Strengthen cross-border collaboration in preventing and responding to public health emergencies and preventing infectious diseases. Deepen cooperation with counterpart hospitals. Build an overseas center for traditional Chinese medicine with high quality.
I'll answer those, thank you!
China Energy News: The “15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Beautiful China” clearly states that it is necessary to promote the construction of a green silk road and deepen cooperation with the “Belt and Road” countries. What are the considerations and initiatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in promoting the construction of the Green Silk Road during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period?
Deng Zhuang:
Thank you for your interest in the construction of the Green Silk Road. Green is the clear undertone of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Since the introduction of the “Belt and Road” initiative, we have always upheld the concept of green development, adhered to the principle of joint discussion, co-building and sharing, coordinated development and protection, mitigation and adaptation, and promoted high-quality joint construction of the Green Silk Road. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will focus on the following areas of work:
The first is to continue to implement the “Belt and Road” South-South cooperation plan to combat climate change, promote the construction of low-carbon demonstration zones, promote the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, and implement a number of highly targeted “small but beautiful” projects to promote co-building countries to enhance climate resilience and autonomous emission reduction capabilities.
The second is to strengthen international cooperation on biodiversity conservation and use platforms such as the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to share biodiversity conservation technology, standards, ideas, and talents with more countries. Since the official launch of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, which was first funded by China, a total of 40 projects have been approved and implemented in three batches, benefiting 53 developing countries around the world. In the future, the scope of the project will be further expanded, so that more countries can benefit from it, and jointly promote the implementation of the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”.
The third is to continue to organize the “Belt and Road” Green Innovation Conference and strengthen the “Belt and Road” International Alliance for Green Development. Strengthen green development investment and financing partnerships, green and low-carbon expert networks, and the construction of the “Belt and Road” ecological and environmental protection big data service platform, and play the demonstration role of the “Belt and Road” Environmental Technology Exchange and Transfer Center (Shenzhen).
Fourth, implement the Green Silk Road Ambassador Program and the “Belt and Road” Ecological and Environmental Talent Exchange Program. Through various methods such as joint training, technical exchanges, and field research, we cultivate ecological environment technology and management talents for the joint construction of a nation.
Fifth, work with relevant departments to strengthen responses to desertification, land degradation, droughts, and sandstorms; give full play to the regional demonstration and promotion role of China, Argentina, China and Central Asia Desertification Centers; and develop the “Great Green Wall” partnership between China and Africa. Cooperate with relevant departments to strengthen green infrastructure connectivity and develop green logistics.
I'll answer those, thank you!
China's Belt and Road Network: Improving international economic and trade rules is an important measure to raise the level of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. What aspects will the Ministry of Commerce work with the co-building countries to improve international economic and trade rules during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period to better promote cooperation?
Song Lihong:
Thank you for your question. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will mainly start from five aspects, work with the co-building countries to improve international economic and trade rules, and further promote and guarantee the high-quality development of the “Belt and Road”. The first is to firmly uphold the multilateral trading system. The World Trade Organization is an important pillar of multilateralism and an important stage for global economic governance. In the next step, we will strengthen coordination with the co-building countries to jointly maintain the multilateral trading system, push forward WTO reform, maintain principles such as most-favoured-nation treatment, actively explore and formulate new rules for the future, and push the WTO to play a greater role in global economic governance. The second is to expand the global free trade zone network. Up to now, China has signed 19 free trade agreements with 25 co-established countries. In the next step, we will continue to promote the signing of economic partnership agreements for joint development with countries that have established diplomatic relations in Africa, promote the early entry into force of the 3.0 version of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and the China-Georgia Free Trade Agreement upgrade protocol, accelerate the free trade negotiations or upgrading process with relevant co-established countries such as Central Asia and the Pacific, promote the expansion and upgrading of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to achieve positive results as soon as possible, strengthen cooperation in new fields, and actively improve rules in fields such as the digital economy and green development. The third is to build a “Belt and Road” high-level investment agreement corridor. At present, China has signed 92 bilateral investment agreements with co-founded countries, providing strong legal guarantees for the promotion and protection of two-way investments. In the next step, we will continue to sign and upgrade investment agreements with co-established countries, further improve international economic and trade rules in the field of investment, strengthen investment protection, and promote investment liberalization and facilitation. Fourth, give better play to the role of the Pilot Free Trade Zone and the Hainan Free Trade Port in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”. We will steadily expand a high level of independence and openness, continue to strengthen cooperation with co-built countries around key areas such as trade in goods, trade in services, digital trade, two-way investment, and cross-border finance, and jointly explore and formulate more international economic and trade rules that meet the development needs of all parties. Through small-scale pilot tests, we promote joint construction of standards, joint discussion of rules, and co-promotion of industries, and contribute to the “Free Trade Plan” for high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. The fifth is to promote the entry into force and expansion of the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Goods Documents. In October 2026, the “United Nations Convention on Negotiable Goods Documents” initiated and led by China was opened for signature in Ghana. 26 countries, including China and Ghana, became the first signatory countries. The Convention creates a “negotiable goods document” applicable to all modes of cross-border transport. It is a landmark innovation in international commercial rules and will play an important role in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” in services. In the next step, we will work with all parties to speed up their respective ratifications and encourage more co-building countries to join the Convention. At the same time, based on local practice, relevant domestic support measures have been further explored and introduced to facilitate the industry's use of the Convention and inject new momentum into high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. I'll answer those, thank you!
Daily Economic News: In recent years, construction results such as trains between China and Europe have been impressive. What measures will the National Development and Reform Commission take during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period to promote the high-quality development of China-Europe trains, and what other connectivity brand building considerations are there?
Liang Lin Chong:
Thanks for the question. Connectivity is the main line and key to the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The China-Europe Express has become the flagship project and iconic brand for the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”. Together with relevant departments and localities, we will further promote the construction of the “four major systems” of efficient transportation, safety management, multiple channels, and innovative development of China-Europe trains, successfully held 2 international cooperation forums, and continuously deepened practical cooperation with countries along the route, and achieved positive results. Since this year, the efficiency of China-Europe train transportation has continued to improve. Continuously expand the operation of China-Europe trains with a fixed schedule of trains, routes, schedules and operating times. These “fixed” trains bring stable and predictable transportation times. The company arranges production and transportation according to the schedule to accurately connect overseas order demand and greatly improve turnover efficiency. Every week, 22 trains are steadily operated between 9 Chinese cities and 6 European cities to accurately match cross-border transportation needs. The scale of operations continues to expand. From January to October of this year, 18,661 trains were launched to transport 1.865 million TEUs, up 14.6% and 11.2% year-on-year respectively. The capacity expansion strongly supported the growing demand for foreign trade in relevant regions and provided efficient transportation channels. Quality and efficiency are constantly improving. From January to October of this year, 9301 outbound trains were operated, and 9360 return trains were operated. The return to outbound ratio was 100.6%, and the two-way traffic volume was close to balance. As of October this year, the heavy container rate of China-Europe trains had remained at 100% for 50 consecutive months, achieving full load in both directions, and comprehensive logistics costs dropped significantly. The public's sense of attainment continues to grow. The train runs with the goods, and also pulls the “shopping carts” of people from all countries to upgrade together. Chinese consumers can directly purchase high-quality European products such as Spanish red wine and Dutch cheese through the China-Europe train trading platform. Europeans can also directly buy “made in China” smart home appliances, daily necessities, etc. Domestic and foreign consumers have more shopping choices, and have received real benefits. Today is “Double Eleven,” and everyone probably has “train goodies” that have crossed mountains and seas in their shopping carts.
During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will steadily push forward the construction of the “four major systems” to achieve new and greater results, and promote the development of China-Europe trains in the direction of higher quality, better efficiency, and safety. The first is to improve transportation organization services. Strengthen collaboration across all lines, continuously optimize transportation organization models, and raise the level of customs clearance facilitation. The second is to expand multiple channels for resilience. Effectively coordinate various modes of transportation such as railways, highways, shipping, and aviation, and actively develop new routes for multimodal transport. The third is to raise the level of safety development. Strengthen coordination and cooperation with countries along train routes to better ensure the safety and smooth flow of passageways. The fourth is to deepen innovation, integration and development. Further promote the digital, intelligent and green development of trains, strengthen the application of new technology and equipment, and cultivate new momentum for development.
At sea, we are actively promoting the “Silk Road Shipping” brand building. “Silk Road Shipping” refers to international transportation along the 21st century maritime Silk Road. We will actively promote this maritime connectivity brand building. The next focus is to promote the collaborative development of “Silk Road Shipping” ports, shipping, and trade, support ports and shipping companies to improve operational efficiency, and raise the level of trade customs clearance and settlement facilitation. At the same time, we will also strengthen cooperation with relevant countries to build a new international platform for maritime connectivity and international cooperation.
Furthermore, we are also further promoting the construction of the Air Silk Road to improve quality and efficiency, and continue to deepen practical cooperation with the joint construction of the country's civil aviation infrastructure, route networks, rules and standards, etc., to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win situation.
I'll answer those, thank you!
Guangdong Radio and Television: The construction of the Green Silk Road is being comprehensively deepened during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period. What role can the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment play in promoting the construction of the Green Silk Road with high quality, relying on the unique advantages of “backing the motherland and connecting the world”?
Deng Zhuang:
Thanks for the question. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has a unique radiation-driven advantage in promoting the construction of the Green Silk Road with high quality. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with six departments, issued and implemented the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Beautiful China Pioneer Zone” to coordinate the planning and promotion of work related to the construction of the Beautiful China Pioneer Zone and the Green Silk Road. Just last month, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Environment and Ecology Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government co-hosted the “Belt and Road” Green Innovation Conference 2026. The Minister of Ecology and Environment and the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region attended the conference. More than 300 representatives of governments, financial institutions, enterprises, universities and international organizations from nearly 20 countries attended the conference. They had in-depth exchanges on “Joining the South's Green Transformation to Promote Global Sustainable Development” to build a green development cooperation platform to help the global South's green and low-carbon transformation. In the next step, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will continue to make good use of the location and institutional advantages of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, accelerate the construction of a beautiful China Pioneer Zone in the Greater Bay Area, and help build a green silk road with high quality. The first is to support deep participation in global green development cooperation. Relying on the “Belt and Road” International Alliance for Green Development, we will strengthen cooperation with the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Region governments to promote the holding of the Hong Kong International Environmental Protection Fair and the Macau International Environmental Cooperation and Development Forum and Exhibition at a high level. Continue to deepen practical cooperation between co-building countries in the field of green and low carbon, promote the gathering and integration of green innovation resources in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and extend them to the joint construction of “Belt and Road” countries. The second is to support the construction of a green and low-carbon cooperation platform at a high level. Relying on Hong Kong's “Belt and Road” Sustainable Green Development Training Center and the “Greater Bay Area Global Green Leadership Institute” to jointly build national capacity building, support the joint construction of regional green development promotion centers, and drive the construction of a green silk road with better radiation. The third is to build a green highland for foreign trade and supply chains. Play the role of the “Belt and Road” Environmental Technology Exchange and Transfer Center (Shenzhen), support Hong Kong in building a green, low-carbon and high-value-added supply chain service center, promote the evaluation and mutual recognition of the carbon footprint of products in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and share green and low-carbon products and services with more countries. I'll answer those, thank you!
Pengpai News: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the construction of the Luban Workshop. After ten years of exploration and practice, the Luban Workshop has landed in more and more countries and has become a national business card for going overseas in the field of vocational education. What are the next steps of the Ministry of Education in China to continue to promote the branding and standardization of the Luban Workshop?
Zhao Lei:
Thank you for your question. Since the world's first Luban workshop was established in Thailand in 2016, up to now, China has built 38 Luban workshops in 32 countries, of which 36 have been built with 30 “Belt and Road” countries. This year marks the beginning of the “15th Five-Year Plan”. The Ministry of Education will anchor the goal of high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, systematically plan and solidly advance various tasks, and continue to promote the branding and standardization of the Luban Workshop.
The first is to strengthen standards leadership. Since this year, the Ministry of Education has taken the lead in developing a series of national standards for the Luban Workshop and released them at the closing ceremony of the 2026 World Conference on the Development of Vocational and Technical Education. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will use the publication of standards as an opportunity to work closely with co-established countries and colleges to jointly carry out research on vocational education teaching, practical training, evaluation, etc., to promote mutual recognition and exchange of teaching standards and technical standards.
The second is to standardize the use of brands. Relying on the normalization of brand management by the Ruban Workshop Construction Alliance, we support the construction of the Luban Workshop training base in Tianjin. By strengthening the training of managers and expatriate Chinese personnel, we strengthen brand maintenance and standardized operation, and polish the beautiful business card of the “Luban Workshop”. Enhance the standardization, professionalism and exemplary nature of the Luban Workshop brand through multi-party collaboration.
The third is to deepen the empowerment of numerical intelligence. Together with the co-building country, we will work together to build an international digital teaching resource library, virtual simulation training platform, etc., expand remote application scenarios, innovate online and offline integrated teaching models, expand the coverage of the Luban Workshop in educating people, expand the new space for the digital development of Luban Workshop, and share the experience of “integrating industry and education and empowering digital intelligence” in vocational education in China with other countries.
Hong Kong Grand Duke Wenhui: All parties at home and abroad are paying great attention to the “small but beautiful” project. What are the ideas and initiatives of the National Development and Reform Commission to promote the construction of “small but beautiful” projects during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period?
Liang Lin Chong:
Thanks for the question. “Small but beautiful” projects are an important vehicle for people to get along. The prominent features of such projects are that they are small in size, benefit people's livelihood, and have good results. In recent years, we have adhered to the concept of win-win cooperation, carried out “small but beautiful” practical cooperation with co-built countries, and shared our valuable experience in poverty alleviation, vocational education, health, green and low-carbon, disaster prevention and mitigation, etc., which not only expanded new space for international cooperation, but also enabled ordinary people in more co-built countries to improve their production and living conditions and enhance their labor skills, thus gaining a deeper understanding and understanding of China's development concept and development experience. For example, the bacterial technology developed by China not only plays an important role in domestic soil and water conservation, wind and sand fixation, desert control, ecological restoration, and people's income growth, but has also taken root in more than 110 countries and has become a famous “happy herb” overseas. A “Happy Grass”, a “Happy Path” for thousands of families. People in some countries write folk songs praising bacteria, which are widely sung locally, and have written moving stories of inclusiveness and win-win situation. Furthermore, through agricultural science and technology education and services rooted in the fields, the “Science and Technology Academy” improves planting techniques and enhances soil fertility according to local conditions. It not only shares our country's experience in agricultural development, but also helps increase food crop production in relevant African countries. There are many more similar examples.
In the next step, we will work with relevant departments to focus on key areas such as agricultural poverty alleviation, health, green development, and cultural exchanges, strengthen coordination and cooperation with co-built countries, and plan and implement more “small but beautiful” projects in a targeted manner. Actively promote branding and standardization, be guided by a wide range of benefits, good social benefits, and high reputation, build a number of boutique benchmarks, exert a demonstration effect with noodles, polish the “small but beautiful” gold sign, and better highlight the concept of co-building the “Belt and Road” to benefit people's livelihood.
I'll answer those, thank you!
Li Chao:
Thank you to all the publishers. The above is all the content of this press conference. Today is the last of the “Endeavour” series of press conferences. Through five press conferences, we systematically introduced the work ideas, policy arrangements, and implementation measures in the “15th Five-Year Plan” period in the fields of industrial development, infrastructure construction, overall development and safety, improving people's livelihood and welfare, and the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”. Thank you to all the media friends for their continued attention. In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission will fully implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, strengthen coordination, promote detailed implementation of the goals and tasks of the “Outline” of the “15th Five-Year Plan”, and strive to transform the blueprint into actual results of high-quality development. We welcome everyone to continue to pay attention to and support the development and reform work in the follow-up work. This concludes today's press conference, thank you!
This article was selected from the official website of the “National Development and Reform Commission”, Zhitong Finance Editor: Feng Qiuyi.