STORY: BRI transformative for developing countries: experts
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Jan. 2, 2025
LENGTH: 00:02:00
LOCATION: Islamabad/Nairobi/Dar es Salaam
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of BRI projects
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): BENJAMIN MGANA, Chief Editor of Foreign News of the Guardian, Tanzania
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DENNIS MUNENE MWANIKI, Executive director of China-Africa Center at Africa Policy Institute, Kenya
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): VAQAR AHMED, Joint executive director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan

STORYLINE:

Experts from the Global South countries have hailed the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), given its pivotal role in boosting trade, fostering exchanges and enhancing infrastructure.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): BENJAMIN MGANA, Chief Editor of Foreign News of the Guardian, Tanzania
"The Belt and Road Initiative has been transformative for developing countries, including Tanzania. It has enhanced infrastructure, increased trade, and fostered people-to-people exchanges. Projects like ports, railways, and industrial parks have opened new economic opportunities and strengthened regional connectivity, aligning with Africa's development priorities."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DENNIS MUNENE MWANIKI, Executive director of China-Africa Center at Africa Policy Institute, Kenya
"The BRI has been able to push and ensure that the continent of Africa gets access to key infrastructures. We have seen roads that have been constructed. We have seen ports that have been constructed. We've seen railways that have been able to be constructed. You look at Kenya, here we have the SGR (Standard Gauge Railway). The SGR starts from Mombasa, basically bringing things in, and then being able to push them to Nairobi, the capital city, and other parts. These are the things that have really transformed and changed the continent of Africa and specific countries like Kenya. This has been able to ensure that we promote economic cooperation and ensure that everybody benefits. And this is the uniqueness of the BRI."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): VAQAR AHMED, Joint executive director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan
"I think the BRI has been a win-win for China and its counterparts, where, of course, the BRI was implemented, or is still being implemented. We saw it in the case of Central and South Asia, in the case of Africa. Several projects and programs were launched. The BRI investments have led to improved infrastructure in energy, roads, railways, ports, for example."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Islamabad/Nairobi/Dar es Salaam.
(XHTV)