In February 2026, Griffith Asia Research Institute and Brisbane Green Finance and Development Center jointly released the 2025 China the Belt and Road Initiative Investment Report. Data shows that in 2025, the scale of participation in the the Belt and Road Initiative will reach a record $213.5 billion, including $128.4 billion in construction contracts and $85.2 billion in investment, both the highest annual level since the initiative was launched in 2013.

The energy sector has become the biggest driving force for the Belt and Road related activities, with the cooperation scale reaching 93.9 billion US dollars, more than twice the previous record, accounting for 43% of the total participation. Among them, oil and gas projects are about 71.5 billion US dollars, and green energy projects are about 21.4 billion US dollars. The report points out that it is the energy demand of the host country, rather than China's industrial policies, that shapes the balance between fossil fuels and renewable energy in the the Belt and Road project.

The Middle East has performed well in this round of growth, becoming a key hub of the the Belt and Road global layout. By 2025, the participation rate of the construction industry in the Middle East will rank second in the world, with a construction activity scale of 39.4 billion US dollars. Chinese companies have significantly expanded their project scale in the energy, real estate, and utility sectors in the region. Saudi Arabia has become one of the largest recipients of Chinese construction contracts and the primary destination for China's green energy cooperation, with green energy construction contracts reaching over 5 billion US dollars by 2025.

Christopher Nathoppel, Director of Griffith Asia Institute, stated that China's participation in Middle Eastern countries has significantly expanded in multiple fields and has become a reliable partner with growth potential and stable policy environment in the region. He pointed out that China plays a core role in the global green energy transition and has achieved significant results in cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the fields of natural gas and green energy.

Africa also stands out. In 2025, the cooperation volume will reach US $61.2 billion, a year-on-year increase of 283%, surpassing all regions in the total cooperation volume of the global the Belt and Road Initiative. Egypt has received US $10.2 billion of Chinese investment, making it one of the world's largest investment destinations along the the Belt and Road. Its projects cover science and technology, energy, real estate, manufacturing and other fields.

According to the analysis of the report, China's participation in decision-making in the the Belt and Road has paid more attention to the economic level, based on actual risks and financial returns. 2025 marks the return of large-scale projects worth over $10 billion, particularly in the energy, mining, and technology sectors, with average transaction volumes for both construction and investment projects reaching record levels. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, the Belt and Road news network

Looking to the future, Nidopil said that despite the uncertainty in the global market, 2026 could become another record breaking year due to strong demand for minerals, technology, and real estate, as well as China's leading position in many fields.Editor/Gao Xue