VII. China's Contribution to Rural Transport in Other Developing Countries

At present, a number of developing countries are still afflicted by poverty. They are searching for ways to develop, but rural transport is still a bottleneck. The Chinese government has worked to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation on transport in the international community. In 2018, a resolution initiated and promoted by China – Eradicating Rural Poverty to Implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – was adopted by the UN General Assembly, emphasizing further poverty reduction efforts through infrastructure construction. Over the years, through sharing its development experience through international cooperation mechanisms and helping with the construction of rural road infrastructure in other developing countries, China has contributed substantially to reducing poverty, improving people's wellbeing, and promoting sustainable global development.

1. Providing Technical Standards for Highway Engineering Suited to Differing National Conditions

Standards are the fruit of humanity's progress. They are also a universal technical language that strengthens global connectivity. In recent years, China has made great efforts in standardization and promoted innovative, cooperative, green and open development powered by standards.

In support of its rapid, large-scale development of road infrastructure, China has established a world-leading system of technical standards and specifications for highway engineering. Based on China's experience from its transport construction projects, these standards represent theoretical advances in China's highway engineering and involve technological innovations in techniques, equipment and materials. At the same time, they are highly practical and adaptable as they come from diverse projects covering China's vast territory with complex geology and terrain.

Committed to staying connected with the world and abreast with the times, China aims to meet the world's growing demand for transport development by boosting connectivity and sharing knowledge and experience. While strengthening "hard connectivity" in infrastructure with other countries, it is also promoting "soft connectivity" by sharing Chinese standards.

In 2012, ten industry standards for highway engineering were released in foreign languages for the first time, including Technical Standard of Highway Engineering, General Specifications for Design of Highway Bridges and Culverts, and Technical Standard of Low Volume Rural Highway Engineering. To date, a total of 73 industry standards have been released in English, French and Russian, covering major technical fields including survey, design, construction, maintenance, and quality inspection and evaluation of highways, bridges and tunnels. They represent a systematic effort in building industry standards in foreign languages, and contribute to highway construction in other developing countries.

China's highway standards have been applied in hundreds of projects in dozens of countries around the world, including Indonesia's Surabaya-Madura Bridge Project and Mozambique's Maputo-Katembe Bridge Project. Chinese standards have also been applied in China-aided construction of rural roads in countries such as Nepal and Mozambique. These affordable, durable, safe and comfortable roads have provided benefits to local people (see Panel 11).

2. Sharing Experience in Rural Road Development

With the goal of improving the wellbeing of humanity, China has played an active role in building new platforms and mechanisms for global transport cooperation and in promoting knowledge and experience sharing. It has met its responsibilities as a major country with practical actions.

Building platforms for cooperation and exchanges. In 2021, China hosted the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, with a focus on the enabling role of transport in poverty reduction and eradication. In 2023, China hosted the Global Sustainable Transport Forum, emphasizing common development that leaves no country or no one behind. At the forum, it shared experience with other countries and showed its determination and sense of responsibility in developing rural transport in more extensive and detailed fields. China has established the Global Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center as a platform for cooperation and exchanges and for sharing China's experience in rural road development with the international community.

Engaging in international organizations. China has sent experts to the Technical Committee 2.2 Roads for Equity, Accessibility and Mobility in Rural and Interurban Areas of the World Road Association (PIARC). It has also shared its experience in developing rural roads through other international organizations including the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, urging countries to attach more importance to the safety and accessibility of rural roads.

Conducting international training sessions. China has contributed to the sustainable highway development of other developing countries by helping to train technical professionals. China has held 28 training sessions for more than 800 people, including a training program on road design and management in Botswana, an advanced training program on highway engineering for countries along the Belt and Road, a training program for technical personnel in highway engineering in other developing countries, and a training program on road network planning.

3. Supporting Rural Road Construction in Other Developing Countries

China has supported and participated in rural road construction projects, and provided aid and assistance to a large number of rural road infrastructure projects in other developing countries, contributing its strength and experience to global rural road development. By participating in construction projects and providing technical and human resource support, China has helped improve the rural road infrastructure of other developing countries (see Panel 12), make travel much easier for local people, reduce logistic costs by a large margin, strengthen interaction between urban and rural areas, and facilitate the market access and flow of agricultural products. These efforts have contributed significantly to local poverty reduction and alleviation, improved people's wellbeing and living standards, promoted local economic and social development, and received wide acclaim from local people. For example, the road construction project on the fringes of the capital of Madagascar, supported by free aid from China, has made it easier to transport eggs from the town of Mahazaza and facilitated the development of local poultry farming. It is known by the locals as the "egg road".

Since 2018, China has supported 24 developing countries including Cambodia, Serbia, Rwanda, Namibia, Vanuatu and Niger in highway and bridge construction and maintenance. These efforts have helped such countries improve transport infrastructure.