The high-speed train glides past lush early spring fields.
From Beijing to Nanjing, the capital of East China's Jiangsu Province, the train travels at over 300 kilometers per hour. Eric George Ongoa watches the scenery unfold, the sight of modern houses reflecting growing prosperity, leaving him a lasting impression.
"If you want to be wealthy, build roads first." Ongoa, a grassroots civil servant from Solomon Islands, first heard this concept a few days earlier in Beijing while attending a training program for young diplomats from Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries.
"I observed how railway stations are seamlessly connected to road networks. These roads stretch across entire provinces, linking rural communities, supporting agricultural projects, and stimulating trade and commerce," he told the Global Times at the end of the two-week program.
The program, hosted by the Academy for International Business Officials under China's Ministry of Commerce, attracted 75 participants from 13 countries.
Through lectures and site visits, Ongoa gained a profound understanding of the significance of the GDI, a vision proposed by Chinese President Xi.
He believes the initiative plays a crucial role in the global fight against poverty. "President Xi focuses on the needs of diverse communities worldwide. By bringing our challenges together, we foster mutual understanding and respect, paving the way for solutions that address our social and economic needs," Ongoa said.
In 2021, President Xi proposed the GDI at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, calling for the building of a consensus on pursuing development, promoting shared growth, and helping accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The GDI places "prioritizing development" at the top of its six core concepts and principles. It has since been continuously substantialized, its implementation mechanisms increasingly refined, and practical cooperation under its framework has gradually taken shape, thereby offering China's solution to bridging the development gap in Global South countries as well as building a better world together.
Road to hope
China's vast and interconnected transportation network captured Ongoa's attention, not just as a visitor but as someone who is deeply concerned about infrastructure development in his own country.
Ongoa, the Provincial Secretary of Malaita Provincial Government in Solomon Islands, just oversaw a major milestone - a groundbreaking ceremony for a road project last Wednesday.
The project, with aid from China, will improve the road network in Auki, the capital of Malaita Province. As the largest and most populous province in Solomon Islands, Malaita stands to benefit significantly from this initiative.
The event was attended by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, Chinese Ambassador to Solomon Islands Cai Weiming, and several local officials.
Under the blue sky and swaying coconut trees, they jointly turned the first shovelfuls of soil, marking the official start of the project.
Ongoa explained that the 1.5-year project, valued at several million dollars, is a major infrastructure undertaking for Malaita. The province consists of five regions spread across the island, and once completed, the road will enhance connectivity and accelerate urbanization.
"This is a generous gift from China," he said. "Once finished, this project will completely transform the province into a totally different place."
However, Ongoa sees beyond the immediate benefits - he envisions long-term progress. "I see this as a win-win cooperation. Through these infrastructure projects and BRI programs, we learn from China. But more importantly, we must use these projects and the knowledge gained from our training programs to become self-sufficient. It gives us valuable information. We must practice it."
Within China, road construction and upgrades are also regarded as crucial tools for poverty alleviation and rural revitalization.
Better rural roads will provide solid support to bring common prosperity to rural residents, facilitate rural revitalization, and accelerate the modernization of China's agriculture and countryside, Xi said in an instruction on work related to rural roads in May 2024.
He ordered that rural roads be built well, managed well, maintained well, and used well. From 2014 to 2023, a total of 2.5 million kilometers of rural roads were built or renovated, and 70,600 villages were connected by paved roads.
Bridging hearts
When Solomon Islands officially established diplomatic ties with China in 2019, some people didn't understand China well and had no clear perception of it, Ongoa recalled.
Tensions between the Malaita provincial government and the national government in Honiara, Guadalcanal, had been running high. In November 2021, protests led to riots in Honiara, according to The Guardian.
Years later, much has changed. The actual development enjoyed by local residents dispelled their concerns.
"I feel strong support from both the government and the local community," Huang Pengfei, a representative from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in Solomon Islands, told the Global Times about working on the Auki road project.
"The people there are simple and straightforward. When they see real, tangible progress, they recognize it. Some initial opposition was largely due to the influence of a small number of individuals," Huang said.
Beyond road construction, Ongoa noted that China is also contributing to Malaita's healthcare and education infrastructure.
"Chinese medical teams have visited our province. Solomon Islands has nine provinces, and these teams have provided a wide range of healthcare services, benefiting people at the provincial level, particularly in areas where medical resources were previously scarce," he said.
Staying committed to a people-centered approach is another core principle of the GDI.
In April 2024, Jiangsu Province signed the friendly cooperation MOU with Malaita Province, according to the Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands. This has contributed to win-win outcomes in areas such as infrastructure, education, agriculture, and income.
Jiangsu has donated livelihood-enhancing materials worth more than 1 million SBD to Malaita, including tractors, solar street lights, water tanks, pumps, computers, and printers.
Among the 160 Solomon Islands students who have been offered Chinese Government scholarships to study in China, half are from Malaita Province, the Global Times learned from the embassy.
"We have spared no effort to support Malaita Province to achieve common development. Our cooperation with Malaita sets a vivid example for China-Solomon Islands cooperation," Chinese ambassador Cai said at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Auki road project.
Shared future
As the world's largest developing country, China always considers its growth in the context of the common development of all humanity. The country has provided development assistance to over 160 countries.
Huang, the CCECC representative, as a witness, has been involved in more than 10 projects in Solomon Islands since arriving in 2016.
His work spans key infrastructure developments, including the completed Solomon Islands National University, East Guadalcanal roads, the National Training Institute, sports facilities for the 2023 Pacific Games, and the airport terminal. Ongoing projects include the land-sea connectivity road and port, the Auki road project, the Noro road in the Western Province, and bridge construction in Malaita - each playing a vital role in the country's well-being and future development.
In January, Solomon Islands celebrated the completion and handover of its first-ever world-class, four-story Comprehensive Medical Centre, which is, in the government's words, "a generous gift from China."
This SBD 90 million ($10.6 million) facility marks a significant step forward in the country's healthcare system. It will reduce reliance on overseas medical referrals and provide specialized care in cardiology, nephrology, and urology, as well as traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, the government official website reported.
For Ongoa, this partnership reflects deeper principles.
He believes this cooperation aligns with China's vision of a shared future. "We are no longer isolated; we live in a global village where mutual support is essential. But this support must come with respect and equality. That's why the idea of building a community of shared future for mankind resonates so deeply - it's about nations helping each other, not through force or military might, but through peaceful coexistence and economic collaboration."
As a country that still bears the scars of World War II - where the Battle of Guadalcanal remains one of the war's bloodiest chapters - Ongoa sees a natural alignment between Solomon Islands and China in valuing peace.
"I admire President Xi's vision of peaceful development. Instead of repeating history by resorting to military destruction, we now focus on solving our challenges through cooperation. The GDI embodies this approach - giving us the self-confidence and self-resilience to stand on our own feet to share resources and face different challenges together," he said.
This article first appeared in the Global Times:
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202503/1329844.shtml
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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