Recently, Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye was invited to hold a lecture at the Paris Institute of Geopolitics. After the speech, Lu Shaye answered questions from the guests on Sino-Russian relations, U.S. hegemony, Sino-U.S.-European relations, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the South China Sea.

When answering a question about how the Belt and Road Initiative promotes global trade and promotes win-win cooperation, Lu Shaye said that the current Belt and Road construction is progressing smoothly. Through the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, China has provided many development opportunities to all countries in the world, especially developing countries.

2022 is the ninth year of the Belt and Road Initiative. So far, China has signed more than 200 Belt and Road cooperation documents with 149 countries and 32 international organizations.

For example, Lu Shaye said that most of the landlocked countries in Asia and Europe are closed developing countries, lack of external communication channels, lack of investment and infrastructure, and poor trade, resulting in "development depressions". The Belt and Road Initiative aims to achieve common development by helping countries in the region build railways, highways, hydropower stations, and invest in infrastructure construction. The Belt and Road Initiative is also going deep into Africa.

He pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative also benefits developed countries, including European countries. For example, before the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the China-Europe trains will have an average annual increase of 45%, and 15,000 trains will be operated in 2021.

After the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, the China-Europe freight train has generally maintained a safe and stable operation. According to statistics, in the first quarter of 2022, China-Europe freight trains will operate 3,630 trains and transport 350,000 TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 7% and 9% respectively, and a comprehensive heavy container rate of 97.7%. Since April, the passage of China-Europe freight trains has been smooth and stable, with 1,170 trains operating in the whole month, an increase of 36 trains compared with March, and a month-on-month increase of 3%. Since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, China-Europe freight trains have operated more than 1,000 trains in a single month for 24 consecutive months, effectively ensuring the stability of the international industrial chain and supply chain.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is not empty talk. It has brought tangible results to the common development of the world. China will continue to promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. As for the initiatives of Europe and the United States, we also welcome and hope to cooperate with them." Lu Shaye said. (Please indicate Seetao.com www.seetao.com for reprint) Editor of the Belt and Road column of Seetao.com/Zhao E