In the morning, children in a village in Senegal turned on the newly built faucet, and the clear well water gurgled out, reflecting the joyful smiles of the villagers. The successful discharge of this' happiness well 'is the result of the second phase of the Senegal Rural Drilling Project and a microcosm of China's pragmatic cooperation with countries in the global South. From roads and ports to schools and hospitals, from photovoltaic fans to industrial parks, cooperation projects spread all over the world are profoundly changing the development trajectory of many countries and regions.

Steel arteries connect development opportunities

The interconnectivity of infrastructure is the vanguard of development. Under the framework of jointly building the the Belt and Road, a series of landmark projects have become the "golden channel" to promote regional coordination.

As a landmark project of cooperation personally promoted by the heads of state of China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan railway project has entered the stage of physical construction. This railway, which will open up a new international logistics channel from Central Asia to the south in the future, is highly anticipated. In Africa, the Tanzania Zambia Railway, which carries the traditional friendship between China and Tanzania and China Zambia, will usher in a new era in November 2025- the Tanzania Zambia Railway Activation Project officially starts construction. In the future, it will connect the railway, highway, and port systems in southern and eastern Africa. Zambian Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali pointed out that this railway will become an important engine for promoting regional trade, expanding employment, and achieving common prosperity.

The Mombasa Nairobi Railway, which has been operating safely for over 3000 days, is increasingly becoming a major artery in the country's transportation system; The China Laos railway, which has been in operation for more than four years, has transported more than 18 million tons of cross-border goods in total, and its radiation effect is constantly increasing. The road is open, and all industries thrive. These 'steel arteries' are spreading opportunities for development further away.

One by one hematopoietic engineering cultivates endogenous power

Collaboration is not only about building, but also about empowering. China's cooperation with countries in the global South is increasingly emphasizing technology transfer and talent cultivation, enhancing the "hematopoietic" capacity for local self-development.

Not long ago, the Excellent Skills College jointly established by China Railway Seventh Bureau, Zhengzhou Railway Technician College, and Freetown Institute of Technology in Sierra Leone was unveiled in the capital city of Freetown. Samba Moriba, President of Freetown Institute of Technology, stated that the project embodies a shared vision of both parties for technological and human development, and will help students acquire skills and contribute to society. Similar vocational education institutions closely linked to the project, such as Luban Workshop and Lao Railway Vocational and Technical College, are cultivating a large number of urgently needed technical talents for the local area.

The field of cultivating motivation through cooperation is widely extended. In the field of agriculture, in November 2025, Qingdao Agricultural University of China signed a memorandum with the Uruguayan National Academy of Agricultural Research to jointly build a grassland agriculture the Belt and Road joint laboratory and create a smart grassland agriculture cooperation platform in combination with Uruguay's industrial characteristics. From vocational education to agricultural technology, from green development to digital innovation, cooperation effectively responds to the demands of countries exploring development paths that are in line with their own national conditions.

A series of funding bridges to overcome financing bottlenecks

The grand blueprint cannot be implemented without solid financial support. Financial cooperation has become an important pivot for leveraging projects and seeking common development.

Taking the key cooperation project of the Green Silk Road jointly built by China and the United Arab Emirates - the 950 MW solar thermal photovoltaic integrated power generation project at Dubai Maktoum Solar Park as an example, it can provide energy to 320000 households annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 1.6 million tons. Behind the project, Agricultural Bank of China, as the joint lead bank of syndicated loans, formed a $2.5 billion syndicated loan with global capital, successfully breaking through the financing bottleneck and providing an example for green finance to support international production capacity cooperation.

According to statistics, China has made development financing a priority within the framework of global development initiatives, mobilizing over 23 billion US dollars to support the development and revitalization of the global South. In 2025, the first Global Southern Financial Forum will be held in Beijing to discuss South South financial cooperation. On March 25-26, 2026, the 2026 Global Southern Finance Forum with the theme of "Integrating Finance and Gathering Intelligence to Light up the South" will be held in Beijing, aiming to further build cooperation bridges, focus on projects, and seek revitalization together.

Looking ahead to the future, from traditional infrastructure to emerging fields, China will firmly join hands with the global South to jointly promote the construction of a prosperous, strong, civilized and progressive modern global South through more concrete project cooperation.Editor/Yang Meiling