Padma Bridge Rail Link Project is a signature project : Chinese spokesperson

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin has said that the first section of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project in Bangladesh is one of the signature projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

“Infrastructure connectivity is a priority area of Belt and Road cooperation. The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project in Bangladesh is one of its signature projects,” he said while addressing a regular press conference on Saturday.

Wang Wenbin highlighted the strategic importance of infrastructure connectivity, underscoring it as a top priority within the Belt and Road cooperation framework.

He said that the official launch of its first section is a dream-come-true moment for Bangladeshi people who hoped one day they could ride a train across the Padma River.

The launch of the section is expected to directly benefit 80 million people and drive up Bangladesh’s economic growth by 1.5 percentage points, he added.

Wang Wenbin also cited several success stories under the BRI infrastructure cooperation, emphasising the transformative impact on participating nations.

Those include the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway in East Africa, the Budapest-Belgrade Railway reducing travel time between Hungary and Serbia, and the China-Laos Railway turning Laos into a land-linked country, generating over 100,000 jobs and potentially raising Laos' aggregate income by 21 percent.