Announcing billions of yuan in financing, China's president has promised to assist countries along the new Silk Road. The ambitious "One Belt, One Road" initiative aims to expand links between Asia, Europe and Africa.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/G. Baker
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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday announced that Beijing will lend 380 billion yuan (50.37 billion euros, $55.09 billion) to support cooperation on its ambitious "One Belt, One Road" initiative to expand links between Asia, Africa and Europe.
"We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy," said Xi during the opening of the two-day summit on the new Silk Road.
"We should jointly create an environment that will facilitate opening up and development - establish a fair, equitable and transparent system of international trade and investment rules," the Chinese president added.
China hosts Silk Road summit
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Xi said that Beijing will also contribute an additional 100 billion yuan to the Silk Road Fund, which aims to bankroll the country's plans to build the infrastructure network for improved intercontinental trade.
The attendees included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Russian President Vladimir Putin and UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Despite the notable absence of Western leaders at China's biggest diplomatic event this year, Xi said all countries are welcome to cooperate on the project.
The US embassy in Beijing expressed concern to China for its decision to invite North Korea, which has escalated tensions in the region through multiple missile test-launches since US President Donald Trump assumed office in January.
However, China's foreign ministry said in a statement that it did "not understand the situation."
"The Belt and Road initiative is an open and inclusive one. We welcome all countries' delegations to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation," the foreign ministry said.
Earlier on Sunday, North Korea launched a test missile believed to be a new model. The test launch prompted outrage from South Korea and Japan, saying it violated numerous UN resolutions and undermined international security.
A journey along the border of China and North Korea
The Yalu River region at the border of China and North Korea is a traditional tourist attraction, but business lately hasn't been booming. A team of Reuters photojournalists explored the area.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
The bridge to nowhere
A tourist attraction in the Chinese border city of Dandong is the old bridge over the Yalu, which was damaged by US bombs during the Korean War. On the North Korean side the remains were demolished, but on the Chinese side, the bridge was preserved as a memorial. A few meters away is the so-called "Sino-Korean friendship bridge," over which goods are transported between the two countries.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
A symbolic connection
The preserved Chinese section of the Yalu Bridge is open for tourists. In 2015, a new bridge called the "New Yalu Bridge" was completed. The 350-million-dollar project was completely financed by China and completed in only three years. There is only one problem - there is no traffic going over the bridge as the North Korean side ends abruptly in farmland without any connection to roads.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
Ambitious plans and harsh reality
The city of Sinuiju lies on the North Korean bank of the Yalu River with a population of around 400,000. As an important transportation hub, along with the Sino-Korean friendship bridge, Sinuiju has had its own harbor for 100 years. A highway and rail connection to the capital Pyongyang is also being planned, which if completed would significantly facilitate flow of traffic across the border.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
'Touch' a small piece of North Korea
For tourists on the Chinese side, a quick look at everyday life for people in North Korea is especially interesting. For example, this picture taken in March shows the resources used by North Korean farmers near Sinuiju.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
A sneak peek at a reclusive land
This Chinese man earns a few yuan by charging tourists to look at North Korea through his telescopes. The isolated country will then appear to only be a stone's throw away.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
Souvenirs for sale next to barbed wire
For those who want something to remember their trip by, Chinese souvenir hawkers sell their goods with a view of North Korea included for free.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
North Korea is also on the menu
North Korean influence can be found everywhere in the border city of Dandong. The country also runs numerous restaurants for prestige purposes. This is also a source of money for the regime in Pyongyang.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
Icy relations
Relations between North Korea and its most important partner, China, have significantly deteriorated since the North's fourth nuclear test in 2016. Unlike in the past, Beijing supported the increasing of UN sanctions in response to the tests. And in response to recent North Korean missile tests, China stopped coal imports from the country in February.
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj
A sputtering economic engine
China and North Korea are very intent on significantly expanding economic relations in the border region, but the Reuters team found little evidence of this currently happening. These luxury apartments in Dandong may be finished - but they are accompanied by numerous half-completed buildings and construction sites. And the planned special economic zone has also yet to open.
