What does a bio lab in Kenya, an AI lab in Austria and a renewable energy lab in Egypt have in common? They are all part of China's efforts to promote science and technology cooperation with Belt and Road partner countries. In the past decade, China has signed a plethora of agreements with partners, covering research in energy, ocean, agriculture, medicine, etc. This future-focused approach shows BRI has been upgraded to a new level, according to Robert Kuhn, a renowned China expert from the U.S., who shares his observation of the recent Belt and Road forum.