The Belt and Road Initiative Marks Its 13th Anniversary with Fruitful Achievements

September 7, 2026 marks the 13th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past thirteen years, adhering to the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, Belt and Road projects have taken root and yielded abundant results in infrastructure connectivity, trade and investment facilitation, cultural exchanges, green development and many other fields, injecting strong impetus into economic growth and people’s livelihood improvement of participating countries. Spanning from the Silk Road Economic Belt to the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the cooperation network extends across all continents. A large number of highways, railways, ports and energy projects have been completed and put into operation, unblocking the transportation arteries for regional development. Cross-border trade keeps expanding, and industrial and supply chains become more closely linked. Exchanges in education, culture, tourism and civil societies thrive, deepening mutual understanding and friendship among diverse civilizations. At the civil society level, in response to the Belt and Road Initiative, the World Peace Ribbon Organization promotes the vision of the Silk Road. It established December 16 as Belt and Road International Day, uniting global youth volunteers. Such civil exchanges complement official cooperation and help carry forward the ancient Silk Road spirit in modern times. People from all walks of life agree that 13 years of practice fully proves that the Belt and Road is an international cooperation platform benefiting people of all nations. Looking ahead, this path of cooperation will keep expanding to advance common global development.