Harry Wu, journalist for Southern Finance Omnimedia Corp (SFC)

Erik Solheim, Co-Chair of the Europe-Asia Centre and Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, shared his insights on the cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative in an exclusive interview with SFC recently.

Solheim has seen many positive developments under the Belt and Road Initiative. “Up to this point, China has helped African nations to establish railroads and many other nations to build solar plants or wind farms.” 

For example, African nations can be linked to the coast or landlock, and they can export more. And in Indonesia, the current railroad from Jakarta to Bandung links 150 million people in a good system of high-speed rail.

Looking into the future, Solheim hopes to see more green infrastructure investment. “China is now the dominant leader on green transition. If I had been asked where to see stories of green success 10 years ago, I would have said Berlin, Paris and Brussels. But today I would say Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and more.”