China proposed both the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (Belt and Road) initiatives in 2013, which aim to connect sub-regions in Asia and Africa and upgrade cooperation between China and countries and regions along the Belt and Road via inter-connectivity and economic cooperation.

State Grid Corp. of China is the world's largest public utility company, ranking seventh on the Fortune Global 500 list. It builds and operates power transmission and distribution grids for more than 1.1 billion people in 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China. State Grid also leads the world in technological research and projects of ultra-high voltage and intelligence grids. It's accelerating its "going global" pace by investing in and operating power grids in the Philippines, Brazil, Portugal, Australia, Italy and Hong Kong, and setting up offices in the United States, Russia, Europe, Brazil, India, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Africa, Australia and Japan. State Grid is also planning projects related to the "Belt and Road." It will participate in power inter-connectivity projects with neighboring countries like Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. It will strengthen economic cooperation and technological communication with countries along the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, manage well the national power transmission grid of the Philippines and launch projects in Ethiopia, Turkey, Egypt and ASEAN countries, so as to cooperate with countries along the "Belt and Road," build communities of shared interests and common destiny and create a bright future.

DU, Zhigang

(General Manager Assistant, Director of the International Cooperation Department of State Grid Corporation of China)