Chinese construction contracts and investments in the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) totaled USD124 billion in the first half of this year, higher than the USD122 billion full-year figure in 2024, and hitting an all-time high, according to the latest report from the Green Finance & Development Center at the Fanhai International School of Finance (FISF) at Fudan University in Shanghai and Australia-based Griffith University. China’s energy-related investment in the BRI countries also reached a new record of USD42 billion during the first six months of 2025, increasing 100% year-on-year. This can be further broken down into USD9.7 billion in the green sectors of wind, solar and waste-to-energy – also the highest half-year figure since BRI’s inception in 2013. On top of that, China has helped to install 11.9 gigawatts of green energy in BRI countries in the first six months. Construction projects related to green energy, including hydropower, were valued at USD5.7 billion in the first half of this year, up from USD4.4 billion in the same period of 2024.
Technology and manufacturing have emerged as key growth sectors, with Chinese engagement in BRI countries totaling USD23.2 billion in the first half, more than double the figure during the same period last year. The investments mainly focused on electric vehicle batteries and EV manufacturing, as well as significant engagement by Chinese solar power giant Longi Green Energy Technology in green hydrogen development in Nigeria. Other notable technology engagements include a USD2.1 billion investment made by China Aviation Lithium Battery in a lithium battery factory in Portugal and a USD700 million photovoltaic glass production base in Egypt set up by Xinyi Glass Holding. Private enterprises have played a bigger role in BRI investment. During the first six months of the year, East Hope Group, Xinfa Group, Longi Green Energy Technology and ByteDance were the four biggest investors in BRI countries in the first half of this year. Sinopec, a state-owned enterprise (SOE), ranked fifth.
Christoph Wang, Director of FISF’s Green Finance & Development Center, said China’s BRI engagement will focus on renewable energy, mining and new technologies for the rest of 2025, while the total pace is expected to stabilize. Manufacturing in new technologies such as batteries, renewable energy, trade-enabling infrastructure such as pipelines and roads, information and communication technology, best represented by data centers, resource-backed deals as well as high visibility or strategic projects, will be the major areas for China’s future BRI engagement, Wang explained. Africa led all regions at USD39 billion in BRI-related investments in the first half of 2025, the China Daily reports.
