Promotion of digital infrastructure way forward for growth, Macao forum told

While infrastructure development has brought huge benefits to most parts of the world, it has also faced new challenges such as climate change, and the way forward to sustainable development with high-quality Belt and Road Initiative is to promote digital, green infrastructure, experts said at a Macao forum on Thursday.

With the theme, "Green Leadership, Digital Intelligence, Financial Empowerment, Win-Win Cooperation", the two-day 14th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, or IIICF, opened in Macao.

Guo Tingting, China's vice-minister of commerce, said in the past 10 years the BRI has made a huge contribution to infrastructure development and connectivity. Digital development is adding new impetus to international infrastructure investment while facing new challenges.

"We have signed memorandums of understanding with relevant departments of different countries to strengthen international investment cooperation, especially with the developing countries, to achieve the inclusive development of digital infrastructure," she said.

Mongolian Deputy Prime Minister Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan said within the framework of the "Vision 2050" long-term development policy adopted by the State Great Khural (Parliament) in 2020, Mongolia pursues socioeconomic and human developments, with measures to upgrade the readiness of information and communication technology and capacity of its infrastructure.

Mike Elton Mposha, Zambia's minister of water development and sanitation, noted Zambia's intention to foster economic growth and development while safeguarding natural assets in order to continue to provide resources and environmental sustainability.

Within the context of sustainable development goals and national vision 2030, Zambia employs strategies that ensure that natural assets can deliver their full economic potential on a sustainable basis, he said.

Ding Yanzhang, chairman of the Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), said digital transformation is one of the core strategies of PowerChina's development. Dai Hegen, chairman of the board of the China National Chemical Engineering Group, said that promoting green and low-carbon economic and social development is key to achieving high-quality development.

Lou Qiliang, president of CRRC Corporation Limited, said they have carefully planned and promoted digital transformation and business model innovation to help promote the high-quality development of global rail transit.

Emission risks

Jonathan Muga, global head of the infrastructure sector, client coverage at Standard Bank Group in South Africa, said that infrastructure carries risks of emissions, local environmental and social impacts and as long-lived assets, infrastructure is particularly impacted by the effects of climate change. "So we partner with our clients to encourage the adoption of socially and environmentally sustainable practices in infrastructure."

Rohan Sinanan, minister of works and transport, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, said the republic is progressing toward achieving economic, social, and environmental transformation guided by its Vision 2030, a comprehensive national development strategy.

The fruitful partnership between the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and China "has played a pivotal role in successfully implementing crucial projects thus far while promoting cooperation in sustainable development", Sinanan said.

Alessandro Golombiewski Teixeira, a professor at the School of Public Policy & Management of Tsinghua University, said in recent years, Latin America's cooperation in infrastructure has grown exponentially. "We must also focus on paving the path toward a more sustainable and digitally advanced future," he said.

The forum also saw two BRI reports released: the Report on the Belt and Road Infrastructure Development Index (2023) and the first-ever Report on Portuguese-speaking Countries' Infrastructure Development Index and Macao's Achievements in Belt and Road Initiative (2023).

Florence Li in Macao contributed to this story.