Online Reporter
NAIROBI. – Chinese construction contracts and investments in the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) totalled US$124 billion in the first half of this year, higher than the US$122 billion full-year figure in 2024, and hitting an all-time high, according to a latest report.
Experts from Green Finance & Development Centre at the Fanhai International School of Finance, or FISF, at Fudan University in Shanghai and Australia-based Griffith University, who jointly released the report recently, said China’s energy-related engagement in the BRI countries also touched a new record of US$42 billion during the first six months of 2025, spiking 100 percent year-on-year.
This can be further broken down into US$9,7 billion in green sectors of wind, solar and waste-to-energy — also the highest half-year figure since BRI’s inception in 2013.
On top of that, China has helped to install 11,9 gigawatts of green energy among BRI countries in the first six months. Construction projects related to green energy, including hydropower, were valued at US$5,7 billion in the first half of this year, up from US$4,4 billion in the same period of 2024.
Looking at investments only, Chinese green energy and hydropower investments reached US$3,1 billion in the first half of 2025, up from US$1,3 billion during the same period last year.
Technology and manufacturing have emerged as key growth sectors, with Chinese engagement in BRI countries totalling US$23,2 billion in the first half, more than double the figure during the same period last year.
The investments mainly focused on electric vehicle batteries and EV manufacturing, as well as significant engagement by Chinese solar power giant Longi Green Energy Technology in green hydrogen development in Nigeria, according to the report.
Other notable technology engagements include a US$2,1 billion investment made by China Aviation Lithium Battery in a lithium battery factory in Portugal and a US$700-million photovoltaic glass production base in Egypt made by Xinyi Glass Holding.
Private enterprises have played a bigger role in BRI investment.
During the first six months of the year, East Hope Group, Xinfa Group, Longi Green Energy Technology and ByteDance, all of which are private companies, were the four biggest investors for BRI engagement in the first half of this year.
Christoph Nedopil Wang, founding director of FISF’s Green Finance & Development Centre, said China’s BRI engagement will focus on renewable energy, mining and new technologies for the rest of 2025. – ChinaDaily
