Small projects with big impacts

In a signed article published by a Peruvian media outlet last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of “small but smart” livelihood programs, praising their role in making China-Peruvian “paisano friendship” more tangible and beneficial.

While Xi says China is ready to launch more such projects, the positive effects are expected to continue in Peru, where people fondly call the Chinese people “paisano,” a local term for their compatriots.

From sharing agricultural technologies to establishing professional workshops, these seemingly small projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have already brought huge benefits to many people in partner countries, with Xi's attention and support.

A small but clever project focuses on a “magic” Chinese herb that has taken root in countries like Papua New Guinea (PNG), where it improves barren soil and helps local farmers escape poverty.

Discovered by Chinese scientists, the wonderful grass technology – or Juncao – uses grass instead of wood as a substrate for growing mushrooms, making it more economical and environmentally friendly than conventional means .

While working in eastern China's Fujian province more than two decades ago, Xi introduced the Juncao approach to a visiting PNG provincial governor. Soon after, Xi sent the inventor of Juncao to the Pacific island country to provide on-site training to local farmers.

“After becoming Chinese vice president, I continued to promote Juncao technology during my visits to the South Pacific, Africa and South America,” Xi said at a meeting on the construction of the BRI in 2021.

He highlighted the role of BRI projects in improving people's well-being, saying small but smart projects could have a direct impact on people.

“People's livelihood projects are an important way to quickly enhance the sense of fulfillment of people in Belt and Road partner countries. They could produce immediate and obvious results,” said Xi. Xi during the meeting.

Today, Juncao technology is applied in more than 100 countries, creating hundreds of thousands of green jobs for local people.

Luban Workshop, a Chinese vocational education program, is another small but smart project that has benefited from Xi's support.

During his meeting with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh last September, Xi specifically mentioned the Luban workshop in Djibouti – the first in Africa. He highlighted joint efforts to ensure the smooth running of the workshop, hoping that it will contribute to training more high-quality talents for the economic development of Djibouti.

Over the years, China has helped establish more than 30 such workshops in countries across Asia, Europe and Africa, providing diploma training to nearly 10,000 students and professional training to more than 31,000 inhabitants.

Other small but smart projects have also flourished around the world. In Mongolia, Chinese medical teams have helped more than 1,000 cataract patients regain their sight. In Ghana, Chinese bamboo weaving techniques are used by local artisans to refine their work and increase their income.

These projects, designed to adapt to local conditions, demonstrate how Belt and Road cooperation has helped meet the pressing needs of local people. As the BRI ushers in a new golden decade, China is poised to bring more palpable changes for the populations of partner countries.

China will carry out 1,000 small-scale livelihood support projects and strengthen vocational education cooperation through Luban workshops and other initiatives, Xi said at the third Belt and Road Forum and the Road for International Cooperation last year.

“The development of the Belt and Road is not empty rhetoric. It represents real work that can be seen and felt to bring real benefits to relevant countries and regions,” Mr. Xi.