Development and Connectivity: The Role of Youth in Belt and Road Cooperation

Editor’s Note: Beibu Gulf Holding (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., shared her reflections on the role of young people in international infrastructure cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Drawing on projects such as the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), she discussed how young participants gradually develop a deeper understanding of “development” and “connectivity” through hands-on experience in cross-cultural and cross-sector collaboration.

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A locomotive is parked at a dispatch center along the East Coast Rail Link under development in Pahang, Malaysia, on May 6,2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

One of the core principles of the Belt and Road Initiative is “extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits.” For many young people involved in major infrastructure projects under the BRI, concepts such as “development” and “connectivity” are no longer abstract ideas found only in policy documents or news reports. Through direct participation, these ideas become real, multidimensional, and deeply personal experiences.

When young people take part in international cooperation projects under the BRI, they begin to develop a much deeper understanding of what development and connectivity truly mean.

First, “Development” can be understood on both the individual and the broader regional or national level.

On a personal level, young people participating in BRI infrastructure projects are not only involved in construction and operations, but are also given opportunities for international exchanges and professional training. Although I did not personally participate in these programs, I witnessed how many young participants broadened their knowledge and perspectives through project involvement.

For example, many young people became increasingly interested in how advanced technologies and artificial intelligence are transforming daily life and driving industrial development across different sectors. These are areas that today’s youth are highly curious about and eager to explore.

Second, these projects help young people expand their international horizons. Through international cooperation projects, they are exposed to different cultures, varying stages of development, and the unique characteristics of different countries. These experiences provide valuable opportunities for young people to better understand the world.

Third, participation in these projects allows young people to strengthen their professional skills and expertise. Some contribute as engineers or builders, others as programmers, legal advisers, or specialists in different fields. Through continuous involvement in project implementation, they gain practical experience and develop stronger professional capabilities.

A fourth aspect is equally important: young people build cross-border friendships through daily interaction and collaboration.

Beyond individual growth, there is also a broader understanding of development at the regional and national level.

I believe young people involved in these projects come to realize that Belt and Road cooperation is not simply about the construction of infrastructure itself. More importantly, it is a process through which China, Malaysia, and other participating countries leverage their respective strengths, deepen cooperation, build consensus, and work together to advance modernization and sustainable development.

Ultimately, the goal is for people in all participating countries to share the benefits of development while contributing to regional prosperity, peace, and stability.

This is my understanding of development, and I believe young people involved in these projects are gaining an increasingly deeper and broader understanding of it as well.

The second key concept is connectivity.

Connectivity is not only about linking countries through roads, railways, and maritime routes under the Belt and Road Initiative. It is also about people-to-people connectivity.

In April 2025, during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Malaysia, China and Malaysia signed a joint statement on building a high-level strategic China–Malaysia community with a shared future. Earlier, in November 2024, the two countries also signed a cooperation plan for jointly advancing Belt and Road cooperation.

Both high-level documents emphasized not only infrastructure connectivity, but also people-to-people ties.

Infrastructure connectivity is relatively straightforward to understand. But people-to-people connectivity is often reflected in the everyday experiences of young people participating in these projects — sometimes through small daily interactions, sometimes through a single meaningful moment.

Our projects regularly engage with local communities and contribute to sustainable development initiatives, including the construction of community facilities. Through this process, young people are exposed to different cultures, traditions, and cuisines.

I have seen Malaysian youth who spent a year training in China learn to speak Chinese. I have also seen Chinese employees who worked on projects in Malaysia for many years learn Malay and form close friendships with local Malaysian colleagues. These are real examples of people-to-people connectivity.

The ECRL project also provides a vivid example. During construction, a new road was built for nearby villages. Previously, residents had to take a long detour that required around 40 minutes to transport goods. After the new road was completed, travel time was reduced to just over ten minutes. This may seem like a small improvement, but it has had a direct and meaningful impact on local communities.

For this reason, international infrastructure cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative is not only about connecting roads and transport networks, but also about connecting people and strengthening mutual understanding between countries.

Returning to the original theme, youth represent the future.

Young people are a vital force in national development and modernization. Those participating in Belt and Road cooperation projects are not only builders, but also firsthand witnesses to international collaboration. They are beneficiaries of these projects, but also communicators and contributors. They embody the values of peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness in Asia.

It is precisely because generation after generation of young people continue to participate in international cooperation projects that the path of global cooperation continues to grow broader and stronger.

(If you have specific expertise, or would like to share your thoughts, please send us your writings at CAobservation@outlook.com)