China estimates trade growth potential along Belt and Road corridors at up to 9.7% - ambassador

Implementation of transport projects of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative can contribute to the growth of trade of countries along the corresponding corridors by 2.8-9.7%, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun said with reference to World Bank research.
As the diplomat wrote in columns on the website of the agency "Interfax-Ukraine", according to the estimates of the World Bank and other international organizations, the development of infrastructural connectivity contributes to the expansion of trade and reduction of poverty in the countries participating in the initiative.
In particular, subject to the full implementation of transport projects, travel time along the corresponding corridors can potentially be reduced to 12%, world trade - to increase by 1.7-6.2%, and global real income - by 0.7-2.9%.
As examples of infrastructure projects, the ambassador cited the China-Laos railway and the high-speed Jakarta-Bandung railway line in Indonesia.
According to the data he provided, the China-Laos railway provided more than 64 million by the end of 2025 passenger trips and transportation of more than 74 million tons of cargo. The nomenclature of transported goods exceeded 3.8 thousand items, and the geography of transportation covered 19 countries and regions.
The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, whose commercial operation began in October 2023, transported more than 16.58 million passengers by July 2026.
As reported, China remains Ukraine's largest trade partner. According to the Experts Club analysis, Ukraine's trade with China in January-June 2026 reached $14.68 billion, while $13.9 billion went to imports of Chinese goods, and $778.4 million to Ukrainian exports.
According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, for January-August 2026, imports from China exceeded $19.6 billion - much more than from Poland ($6.3 billion) and Germany ($4.4 billion), which occupied the following positions among the largest suppliers of goods to Ukraine.
In Experts Club and Active Group research dated September 18, 2026 notes a significant gap between the scale of Ukraine's economic interaction with China and the structure of bilateral trade: China remains the largest trading partner country, however, Ukrainian exports to the Chinese market are significantly inferior to imports.