Think Big, Build Bold: What Mark Carney and Canada Can Learn from China’s Belt and Road Success

When China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, many Western analysts dismissed it as overly ambitious and unlikely to succeed. The plan to build a sweeping network of roads, ports, railways, and digital infrastructure across continents was widely seen as unrealistic. A decade later, the results tell a different story.

At the 10th Annual Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong this week—co-hosted by the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)—Dr. Patrick Lau, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, reflected on the initiative’s evolution: “What began as a Chinese vision has become a global movement.”

The BRI has matured into the most expansive infrastructure and investment program in modern history. It now spans more than 150 countries, has mobilized over $1 trillion USD in capital, and has reshaped trade routes, lifted regional economies, and accelerated development. From Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe, Africa to the Middle East, Belt and Road projects are not only built—they’re delivering measurable impact.

Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol highlighted the scale of transformation: “Together, we have built over 3,000 kilometres of national roads and 16 major bridges, transforming the daily lives of millions of Cambodians. It has boosted tourism, reduced costs and enhanced Cambodia’s role as a regional trade hub.”

Nicholas Ho, Commissioner for Belt and Road, emphasized Hong Kong’s strategic role: “Now more important than ever, Hong Kong serves as a hub to aggregate global capital, global projects, and redeploy them in bankable form.”

The summit itself reflects the initiative’s maturity. It featured 90 speakers from 18 economies and facilitated thousands of business deals. As Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, noted: “The Belt and Road Initiative has been put into practice, turning an idea into action and a vision into reality.”

The BRI is anchored by two core components: The Silk Road Economic Belt, a land-based corridor connecting China to Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, sea routes linking China to Southeast Asia, Africa, and beyond. Its goal is to build a global infrastructure network that drives trade, investment, and connectivity.

Over the past decade, the BRI has delivered:

• Thousands of infrastructure projects, including high-speed rail in Indonesia and ports in Pakistan and Greece
• $2 trillion in annual trade volume between China and BRI countries—double the 2013 figure.
• Hundreds of thousands of jobs across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
• A shift toward green and digital innovation: by 2025, 64 percent of BRI energy projects were in renewables, up from 15 percent in 2015.
• A growing role for private capital: 60 percent of BRI investment in 2025 came from private firms, not state-owned enterprises.
• Hong Kong’s trade with BRI countries has surged nearly 80 percent since 2013, growing 3.2 times faster than its overall external trade. This is no longer just a Chinese success story—it’s a global one.

For Canada, the BRI offers a relevant case study. China didn’t just announce its ambitions—it delivered them through coordinated infrastructure, strategic investment, and long-term partnerships. The lesson is clear: scale, speed, and execution matter.

With Parliament set to resume next week, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call to “build big, bold and build now” faces a defining test. His credibility will depend not on rhetoric, but on launching tangible, large-scale initiatives that reshape Canada’s trade posture and economic trajectory.

To meet the moment, Carney must move from vision to delivery—mobilizing projects that drive entrepreneurship, energy innovation, and infrastructure renewal. Not just to diversify trade, but to secure Canada’s place in a rapidly shifting global economy.

Canada now has an opportunity to pursue a strategy of comparable scale, built around its own strengths. A “Go Big and Go Home” approach would mean expanding Canada’s reach in Asia to drive long-term growth, while ensuring those gains translate into real benefits for workers, entrepreneurs, and exporters at home.

That includes engaging directly with Belt and Road economies through trade missions, joint ventures, and infrastructure financing; Leveraging Hong Kong as a gateway to Asia, using its legal system, financial infrastructure, and bilingual talent pool to navigate cross-border deals; Supporting Canadian SMEs in entering Belt and Road markets, particularly in clean tech, agri-food, and digital services; Using strategic entrepreneurship to maintain strong U.S. ties while broadening Canada’s global footprint in Asia.

To seize this moment and retain their credibility, the Carney government must fast-track a national renaissance in building, energy, and infrastructure. Below are ten real, high-impact projects proposed by business leaders and policymakers:

1. Coastal LNG Export Terminal in British Columbia – Unlocking global energy markets while engaging Indigenous communities.

2. Ontario Line Subway Expansion – Transforming Toronto’s transit and reducing urban congestion.

3. St. Lawrence Seaway Deepening – Enhancing trade capacity with larger vessels and global reach.

4. Calgary Green Line LRT – Connecting underserved communities and promoting sustainable mobility.

5. Offshore Wind Transmission Trunkline in Nova Scotia – Accelerating clean energy exports.

6. Critical Minerals Mining in Northern Ontario – Powering the global battery supply chain.

7. Northern Corridor Trade Route – Linking Western ports to Eastern markets through rail and road.

8. East-West Power Grid Enhancements – Strengthening regional energy resilience.

9. Nunavut-NWT Trade and Mining Corridor – Opening up Arctic development with Indigenous partnerships.

10. National High-Speed Rail Network – Connecting major cities and reducing carbon-intensive travel.

11. Ring of Fire Road Network in Northern Ontario -Ontario has committed $1 billion to unlock access to the Ring of Fire region—home to critical minerals essential for EVs and clean tech. While the Carney government has not formally pledged federal funding, expectations are high that Ottawa will partner with the province and Indigenous communities to accelerate road construction connecting Webequie and Marten Falls First Nations to the provincial highway system. If this support fails to materialize, it will raise serious questions about the government’s commitment to Canada’s green industrial future.

12. East-West Canadian Energy Corridor- Long championed by Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario, this corridor would connect Western Canadian oil and gas to Eastern refineries and export terminals.

When China launched the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, many in the West dismissed it as geopolitical overreach. A decade later, its scale and impact have silenced those doubts. The 10th Annual Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong was not symbolic—it was evidence of what sustained ambition and execution can achieve.

Canada doesn’t need to mirror China’s model, but it does need to match its scale of intent. If Prime Minister Carney’s government is serious about building a more resilient and globally engaged economy, the time to act is now. The blueprint exists. The urgency is real. And the next decade will be defined by those who build.

Photo: Courtesy The Hong Kong Trade Development Council