Belt and Road Monitor, Edition 9, 2025
This edition of the Belt and Road Monitor covers developments from 1 to 30 September 2025. 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:
USD14.97 Billion
(Estimated)
Southeast Asia
the Region with the highest value of new bri projects
11.4 GW
in wind renewable energy projects
Largest new transaction USD7 Billion
nilai smart city project
nilai, malaysia
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
Bringing a Joint Voice to the Global Information Space, TASS and Xinhua Adopt Five-Year Strategy
On 2 September 2025, as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China, the Russian news agency TASS and its Chinese counterpart, Xinhua, adopted a five-year co-operation strategy. The document outlines the planned activities from 2026 to 2030, aiming to upgrade the current level of co-operation. TASS and Xinhua will continue to exchange news feeds and audiovisual material and elevate joint activities to include sharing social media content. They will implement projects related to economics and artificial intelligence (AI) and establish common standards.
Chinese Mining Companies Quickly Expand in Nicaragua as Investors Drive Demand for Gold
On 3 September 2025, a new Chinese company, the Waslala Mine, S.A., was established and quickly received the transfer of two lot concessions from another Chinese company, Zhong Fu Development, S.A. that encompasses nearly 50,000 hectares (ha). This activity took place just one week after Chinese company Nicaragua Xinxin Linze Minería Group, S.A. was awarded its 7th mining concession in the country on 26 August 2025.
China Commits to Delayed Railway Project Financing After Pakistan Secures US Critical Minerals Investments
On 8 September 2025, Pakistan’s government announced that China and Pakistan have agreed to form a multilateral consortium to finance the upgrade of the USD7 billion Main Line (ML-1) railway network in Pakistan. The 1,872-kilometre-long railway network project has been in development for almost two decades and is seen as an important link of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The consortium will include the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and institutions from China and Pakistan.
Ganfeng Lithium to invest USD2 Billion in Argentine Lithium Projects
On 22 September 2025, Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Lithium announced its investment of USD2 billion in the Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes (PPG) lithium projects in Salta Province, Argentina that are held under a joint venture with Lithium Argentina AG. The funds will be used to consolidate three adjacent lithium brine projects to achieve greater scale in what is a difficult extraction environment. PPG is expected to have an eventual annual output of 150,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent.
China Mobile Positions Kazakhstan as Central Asian Digital Lead
On 24 September 2025, China Mobile announced plans to use Kazakhstan’s Akashi Data Center as a hub for the company’s regional digital infrastructure development goals. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding in July 2025 to develop infrastructure and computing power for Kazakhstan’s AI industry. This most recent activity signals China Mobile’s intent to use the partnership as a catalyst for regional expansion plans. Akashi, a Kazakh data storage company, is constructing the Akashi Data Center, the largest and only Tier IV data centre in Kazakhstan.
New Project Locations
What They're Saying
XU JIAN, Former President, China Foreign Affairs University On the Global Governance Initiative as a tool for global governance reformation.
“The basic architecture of the current global governance system, formed after WWII, is in many ways no longer adapted to the current world order and development trends. Currently, the weight of the Global South in the international landscape continues to grow, but their voice and representation in international affairs have not increased accordingly, resulting in a ‘representational deficit’ in the global governance system.”
By the Numbers
