Xi Story: Small projects with big impacts

BEIJING -- In a signed article published by a Peruvian media outlet last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote about "small yet smart" livelihood programs, lauding their role in making the China-Peru "paisano friendship" more tangible and beneficial.

With Xi affirming that China is ready to launch more such projects, the positive effects are set to continue in Peru, where people endearingly refer to the Chinese people as "paisano," a local term meaning fellow countrymen.

From sharing agricultural technology to setting up vocational workshops, these seemingly small projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have already delivered huge benefits to many in partner countries with the care and support of Xi.

One small-yet-smart project features a Chinese "magic" grass 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 wondrous grass — or Juncao — technology uses grass instead of timber as a substrate when growing mushrooms, making it more economical and environmentally friendly than conventional means.

When working in east China's Fujian Province more than two decades ago, Xi introduced the Juncao approach to a visiting provincial governor from PNG. Soon after, Xi dispatched the inventor of Juncao to the Pacific island country to provide on-site training for local farmers.

"After I became Chinese vice president, I continued to promote Juncao technology when visiting the South Pacific, Africa and South America," Xi said at a meeting on BRI construction in 2021.

He highlighted the role of BRI projects in improving people's well-being, saying small-yet-smart projects could deliver direct impacts on people.

"Projects on people's livelihood are an important way to rapidly boost the sense of fulfillment of people in Belt and Road partner countries. They could produce immediate and evident results," Xi said at the meeting.

Today, the Juncao technology is being 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-yet-smart project that has enjoyed Xi's support.

While meeting Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh this September, Xi specifically mentioned the Luban Workshop in Djibouti — the first one in Africa. He underlined joint efforts to ensure the sound operation of the workshop, expecting it to help cultivate more high-quality talent for the economic development of Djibouti.

Over the years, China has helped establish over 30 such workshops in countries across Asia, Europe and Africa, offering diploma-level training to nearly 10,000 students and vocational training to over 31,000 locals.

Other small-yet-smart projects have also prospered worldwide. In Mongolia, Chinese medical teams have helped more than 1,000 cataract patients regain their sight. In Ghana, Chinese bamboo weaving techniques are being used by local craftsmen to refine their handiwork and increase incomes.

These projects, designed to suit the local conditions, are evidence of how Belt and Road cooperation has helped address the pressing needs of local people. With the BRI ushering in a new golden decade, China is poised to bring about more palpable changes for people in partner countries.

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

"The Belt and Road development is not meant as empty rhetoric. It represents real work that could be seen and felt to bring real benefits to countries and regions involved," Xi once said.