观察家｜“一带一路”：绿色发展之路

I'm Robert Lawrence Kuhn and here's what I'm watching: The future of the Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, in catalyzing a "green and sustainable world economy" —following the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, celebrating the BRI's 10th anniversary. 

我是罗伯特·劳伦斯·库恩，以下是我正在关注的话题：“一带一路”倡议将如何加速世界经济绿色转型？如何落实第三届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛成果并以此来庆祝“一带一路”倡议提出十周年？

President Xi Jinping has explained his grand vision, "Over these 10 years, we have endeavored to build a global network of connectivity consisting of economic corridors, international transportation routes and information highway as well as railways, roads, airports, ports, pipelines and power grids." President Xi was saying, in effect, China is able and ready to work with the Global South in its historic struggle to redress the wrongs of colonialism and unequal development. 

习近平主席在第三届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛上阐释了他宏大的愿景：“10年来，我们致力于构建以经济走廊为引领，以大通道和信息高速公路为骨架，以铁路、公路、机场、港口、管网为依托（涵盖陆、海、天、网）的全球互联互通网络。”（在我看来）习主席的意思是，中国能够并且已经准备好，同全球南方国家携手矫正殖民主义的错误，并争取平等的发展机会。

President Xi announced "eight major steps" China will take to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Here I focus on the fourth: promoting green development as a central guiding principle of the BRI, including green infrastructure, green energy and green transportation. China will provide 100,000 training opportunities in Green Investment Principles for partner countries by 2030. 

习主席宣布，中国将采取“八项行动”以支持高质量共建“一带一路”。这里我重点关注第四项：促进绿色发展。作为“一带一路”的中心指导原则，绿色发展涉及绿色基建、绿色能源及绿色交通等领域。他表示，中国将落实“一带一路”绿色投资原则，到2030年为伙伴国开展10万人次培训。

In the BRI's early years, green was less important than rapid development and some BRI projects were criticized as being highly polluting, which mirrored China's own historical experience. Fundamental change came when, in 2021, President Xi surprised the world by pledging that China would no longer build new coal-fired power projects abroad and it would enhance support for low-carbon development. In today's BRI, China is ramping up financing for low-carbon development and adopting a green project pipeline to align with President Xi's green directives.

在“一带一路”倡议实施早期，绿色发展曾让步于快速发展。一些“一带一路”项目由于污染严重而遭到批评，这也和中国自身的历史经验相似。2021年，中国在海外的“一带一路”项目迎来了重大转变。习主席宣布，中国将不再新建境外煤电项目，并且要大力支持低碳发展。这一转变令世人振奋。在如今的“一带一路”倡议下，中国正加大对低碳发展的融资力度，拓展绿色项目渠道，以落实习主席关于绿色发展的指示。

Green is now the BRI's background color. China is establishing green and low-carbon cooperation mechanisms and stepping up support for the BRI International Green Development Coalition with more than 150 partners from more than 40 countries; launching green development partnerships with 31 countries; building an ecological and environmental protection big data service platform; setting up an environmental technology exchange and transfer center and implementing the South-South Cooperation Plan to address climate change.

如今，绿色是共建“一带一路”的底色。中国正在建立绿色低碳合作机制，加大对 “一带一路”绿色发展国际联盟的支持。目前，已经有超过40个国家的150多个合作伙伴加入了该联盟。中国与31个国家共同发起了“一带一路”绿色发展伙伴关系倡议。此外，中国还建设了生态环保大数据服务平台，并设立环境技术交流与转移中心，以此落实南南合作计划，共同应对气候变化。

Hydropower stations, wind power stations, photovoltaic power stations, oil and gas pipelines and intelligent and accessible power transmission networks have made energy shortages no longer a bottleneck for development. For example, the De Aar wind power project constructed and operated by a Chinese state-owned enterprise in South Africa not only meets the electricity needs of more than 300,000 local residents, but also reduces carbon emissions by nearly 700,000 tons every year. And the Karot hydropower station in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor generated, in just over a year, 3.64 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, meeting the demands of more than 5 million residents.

水电站、风力发电站、光伏电站、油气管道以及智能便捷的输电网使得能源短缺不再构成发展瓶颈。举例来说，由中国国有企业在南非建设运营的德阿风电项目，不仅能满足当地30余万户居民的用电需求，每年还能减排二氧化碳近70万吨。中巴经济走廊卡洛特水电站仅一年多就累计发电量达36.4亿千瓦时，可满足当地500余万人的用电需求。

China has BRI green energy projects with more than 100 countries and regions, and China's investment in green and low-carbon energy exceeds that in traditional energy. 

中国已与100多个国家和地区开展绿色能源项目合作，在共建“一带一路”国家的绿色低碳能源投资已经超过对传统能源的投资。

But will green meet the demand? China says it is up to the challenge.

但是，绿色转型能否满足发展的需求？中国表示有信心接受这一挑战。

I'm keeping watch. I'm Robert Lawrence Kuhn.

我将持续观察。我是罗伯特·劳伦斯·库恩。

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