Belt and Road Monitor, Edition 13, 2026

This edition of the Belt and Road Monitor covers developments from 1 to 31 January 2026. If you enjoy our Belt and Road coverage, consider checking out Janes IntelTrak, a visual analytics tool that tracks and maps the global activities of Chinese and Russian companies in real time and includes expanded analysis of projects highlighted in "Top Developments." The Monitor draws from transactional data collected daily by our proprietary tool, Janes IntelTrak, as well as research compiled by our team of analysts.

Belt & Road at a glance

Value of all new BRI projects:

USD6.47 Billion

(Estimated)

Europe

the Region with the highest value of new bri projects

Largest New Transaction

USD 1 Billion

Mining Assets Acquisition

Bahia, Brazil

5.86 GW

in new BRI Power Projects initiated

Chinese BRI Transactions in USD Billions

Graph notes: These transactions include Chinese loans and grants but also contracts and subcontracts. Not all transactions will come to fruition, and this graphic does not account for cancellations, disruptions, failure to disburse funds, etc. This depicts the announced values of transactions with involving Chinese entities operating overseas, which could include Chinese funded projects but also foreign funded projects involving Chinese contractors, across multiple BRI-linked sectors.

Belt and Road Initiative top developments

China and Pakistan Advance Security Co-operation
Following a meeting with Chinese State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, Pakistan’s Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, announced on 7 January 2026 that Pakistan will establish a special protection unit within Islamabad to exclusively protect Chinese personnel within the country. Training will be a component of the arrangement, with senior police officers from the National Police Academy of Pakistan expected to train at the Beijing Police College.

Cross-Caspian Sea, China-Central Asia Freight Train Route Inaugurated
On 19 January 2026, China Railway Beijing Engineering Group ran the inaugural route of a cross-Caspian Sea, China-Central Asia freight train, the first, from Tianjin, China, to Baku, Azerbaijan. The route supports development of the Middle Corridor, traveling through Horgos Port in Xinjiang, China and Aktau, Kazakhstan, before cargo arrives via ship at the Port of Baku where it can be transhipped further abroad. Initial cargo included stainless steel pipes and household appliances.

CIDCA Completes Maldives Meteorological Expansion Project
On 20 January 2026, the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) completed, the Maldives Meteorological Service project. This included the expansion of the Maldives’ meteorological observation network, including automated weather stations and radar systems.

CMOC Group Acquires Canada’s Equinox Gold’s Brazilian Assets
A subsidiary of CMOC Group completed its acquisition of Canada’s Equinox Gold Corp.’s Brazilian assets, including the Aurizona Mine, RDM Mine, and the Bahia Complex (Fazenda and Santa Luz Mines) for USD1 billion on 23 January 2026. For CMOC, the purchase grows the company’s footprint in Latin America at a time when Chinese transportation links in and with the region are greatly improving both in terms of speed and cargo capacity.

Huawei to Modernise Angola’s National Health System
On 26 January 2026, Huawei Technologies signed an agreement with Angola’s Ministry of Health to modernise the National Health System and digitise hospitals across the country. Under the agreement, Huawei will train 38,000 professionals and equip the healthcare system to conduct half a million remote medical consultations over four years. The agreement also provides for the implementation of telemedicine, digital imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for the healthcare field.

New Project Locations by Value

What They're Saying

JOE LEAHY, Beijing Bureau Chief and RICHARD MILNE, Nordic and Baltic Bureau Chief, both at the Financial Times On China’s military and civilian interests in building a 'Polar Silk Road.'

“While China describes its interests in the region in terms of trade and research, few analysts doubt the dual civilian-military intent of Beijing’s Arctic programme, from establishing research bases to oil and gas co-operation and joint military patrols with Russia near Alaska….The Arctic offers myriad possibilities for military operations, ranging from space and satellite warfare to strategic positioning of nuclear-armed submarines, raising the risk that tensions spill over into confrontation in the race to control the emerging territory.”

By the Numbers