As the global economic landscape undergoes profound adjustments, the bridge of international cooperation becomes more important than ever before. On December 26, 2025, the meeting of the leading group of Shanghai to promote the construction of the the Belt and Road was not only a review of the annual achievements, but also a declaration of the city to face the future and serve the national opening strategy with a higher position and more practical measures. As the forefront of China's reform and opening up and the carrier of the construction of the "five centers", Shanghai is transforming the the Belt and Road Initiative from a grand blueprint to specific cooperation projects and smooth flow of elements with its unique hub function and institutional innovation capability. The meeting outlined not only the roadmap for the next stage of work, but also the strategic thinking on how Shanghai can play an irreplaceable role in high-quality joint construction of the the Belt and Road from participation to leadership.

Building a three-dimensional network of land, sea, air and space

The conference will prioritize improving the interconnectivity network to enhance the quality and efficiency of cooperation, and propose a grand vision of building a "land, sea, air, and space" integrated three-dimensional network. This is not a simple extension of transportation and logistics, but a comprehensive system engineering aimed at promoting deep integration of rules, standards, and facilities. Shanghai will focus on exploring more diversified international channels, building more efficient service platforms, and creating an open gateway with stronger radiation. Its goal is to break down traditional physical and institutional barriers, promote efficient flow, optimized allocation, and value appreciation of production factors such as technology, capital, talent, and data on a wider scale. The construction of this network will make Shanghai not only a port for goods in and out, but also a strategic hub for the integration and reallocation of global resources, providing key infrastructure support for the integrated development of the the Belt and Road and even the broader region.

From traditional economy and trade to emerging fields

At the same time as consolidating the advantages of traditional economic and trade cooperation, the meeting clearly shifted the cooperation perspective to a broader territory. In the future, Shanghai's participation in the construction of the the Belt and Road will focus on promoting the structural transformation of cross-border trade, optimizing the layout of the overseas industrial chain supply chain, and vigorously exploring new cooperation fields such as scientific and technological innovation, green ecology, health, culture, tourism and agriculture. This comprehensive cooperation layout means that the cooperation mode has shifted from single commodity trade and engineering contracting to technology collaboration, standard output, capacity building, and sustainable development. Shanghai intends to rely on its scientific and technological innovation resources and modern industrial system to cultivate and implement a number of benchmark projects with significant influence and industrial driving force, combining China's development experience, applicable technical standards, and high-quality production capacity with the development needs of countries along the Belt and Road through market-oriented means, and jointly shaping new growth momentum. Key words: the Belt and Road latest information, the Belt and Road key projects

Strengthen the service and security guarantee system

To enable enterprises to go global more actively and confidently, a sound service and risk prevention and control system is the fundamental guarantee. The meeting emphasized the need to exert greater efforts to safeguard overseas development and security interests, and accelerate the construction of a comprehensive and all-round service guarantee mechanism covering the entire process. This includes improving the risk warning and prevention system, providing comprehensive services such as legal and consulting, and expanding diversified investment and financing support channels. Its core goal is to systematically reduce the uncertainty and transaction costs of enterprises participating in international cooperation, making the process of "going global" more convenient, secure, and sustainable. In addition, the meeting also called for strengthening cross regional docking and overall planning, promoting the deep integration of the Yangtze River Delta integration advantages and the the Belt and Road construction, and focusing on the role of international organizations and well-known think tanks as a bridge to form a promotion pattern of internal and external linkage and multi-party coordination, so as to contribute Shanghai's wisdom and Shanghai's plan to the stability and long-term development of the the Belt and Road. (This article is from www.seetao.com, the official website of Daodao, and cannot be reproduced without permission. Otherwise, it will be prosecuted. Please specify the website of Daodao+the original link for reproduction.) See the editor of the the Belt and Road column of Daodao/Gao Xue