Yemen and China Discuss Reviving Belt and Road Cooperation

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Yemen and China have discussed reviving economic cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, in a virtual meeting between senior officials of the two countries. Yemen’s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr. Afrah al-Zouba, met Zhao Zheng, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy to Yemen, to explore avenues for development and economic cooperation and to strengthen bilateral relations.

During the meeting, the two officials addressed the activation of a memorandum of understanding related to the Belt and Road Initiative, which was signed in 2019. They explored potential collaboration in areas including solar energy, infrastructure projects, capacity-building programmes and scholarships, identifying sectors where cooperation could yield tangible benefits for Yemen.

The importance of reactivating the Yemeni-Chinese Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation was also emphasised, as a means of facilitating coordination and communication between the two nations. Such committees provide a structured framework through which governments can advance cooperation and address practical matters over time.

Minister al-Zouba expressed gratitude for China’s ongoing support for Yemen and outlined the Yemeni government’s priorities, including in the field of renewable energy. Aligning cooperation with the government’s priorities helps ensure that any assistance or collaboration supports the country’s most pressing needs and its broader agenda for recovery.

The Belt and Road Initiative, China’s expansive programme of infrastructure and economic cooperation, has involved partnerships with numerous countries around the world. The activation of Yemen’s memorandum of understanding under the initiative could open avenues for Chinese involvement in the country’s development, particularly in infrastructure and energy.

The focus on solar energy reflects both Yemen’s needs and its potential in this area. The country enjoys abundant sunshine, giving it considerable potential for solar power, and expanding renewable energy could help address the chronic shortages that have plagued its electricity sector while reducing dependence on imported fuel.

Infrastructure projects, another area of potential cooperation, address fundamental needs in a country whose infrastructure has been extensively damaged by conflict. Rebuilding and developing infrastructure is central to recovery, and cooperation with partners possessing the resources and expertise for such projects could contribute to these efforts.

Capacity-building programmes and scholarships, also discussed, address the human dimension of development. Building the skills and knowledge of Yemenis, whether through training or education, is essential to the country’s long-term prospects, and cooperation in these areas can help strengthen the human capital on which recovery depends.

China has maintained relations with Yemen and has an interest, as a major global power, in the stability of a country situated near vital shipping lanes. Its engagement, while more measured than that of some other actors, reflects the broader pattern of its involvement in the region and its interest in economic cooperation and connectivity.

The reactivation of cooperation frameworks such as the joint committee and the Belt and Road memorandum reflects an effort to revive engagement that may have been constrained by the conflict. Reviving these mechanisms could provide a basis for expanded cooperation as circumstances permit, laying groundwork for future collaboration.

The emphasis on renewable energy aligns with a broader recognition of its importance to Yemen. In the absence of reliable grid electricity, many Yemenis have turned to solar power, and developing this sector at a larger scale could improve access to energy while contributing to a more sustainable and resilient power supply over time.

The role of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in these discussions reflects its function in coordinating development cooperation and international partnerships. The ministry works to align the contributions of partners with national priorities, making its engagement with China an element of the broader management of the country’s external cooperation.

The potential for Chinese involvement in Yemen’s development carries significance given China’s capacity in infrastructure and its experience in development projects worldwide. Should cooperation materialise, it could bring resources and expertise to bear on the country’s needs, complementing the engagement of other international partners.

Realising the potential discussed will depend on a range of factors, including the security situation and the practical feasibility of projects in the current environment. Translating memoranda and frameworks into concrete cooperation requires sustained effort and favourable conditions, and progress may be gradual given the challenges Yemen faces.

The reference to a memorandum signed in 2019 is a reminder of how much the intervening years of conflict have constrained cooperation that had once been envisaged. Agreements reached before the deepest phases of the war have in many cases lain dormant, awaiting conditions in which they could be implemented. Reviving them requires not only political will on both sides but a security and economic environment capable of supporting investment and long-term projects, conditions that remain fragile in much of the country.

For Yemen, cultivating a relationship with a partner of China’s economic weight carries a particular appeal as it looks toward eventual reconstruction. The scale of the rebuilding that awaits the country, once its conflict subsides, will be immense, and officials are conscious that securing the interest and engagement of major economies now may help lay the groundwork for later investment. Discussions such as this one, while modest in immediate effect, form part of a longer-term effort to keep open the channels through which such cooperation could eventually flow.

For now, the meeting between al-Zouba and Zhao reaffirmed the interest of Yemen and China in strengthening economic cooperation and in reviving frameworks such as the Belt and Road memorandum. As Yemen seeks partners to support its recovery, engagement with China represents one avenue through which resources and expertise might be mobilised for its development.