Belt & Road Initiative: Chinese dredging company digs deep in Brazil

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02:57

China is one of only a handful of countries with global expertise in waterway dredging. Its major player in the industry is Shanghai Dredging Company, and it has been working in Brazil for a year now. CGTN's Xu Zhaoqun visited its operations in Rio de Janeiro, where its work has been pivotal to the port's success.

The Port of Rio de Janeiro sees ships come and go every day. But there's always one constant. Clearing away silt, the Chinese dredger works every day to guarantee the port's smooth operations, and ensure ships can navigate safely. It's operated by a team of Chinese and Brazilian engineers.

FRANCISCO DAS CHAGAS LIMA CHIEF OFFICER, SDC BRAZIL "This is the first time I've worked on a Chinese ship. Our cooperation is very good-I enjoy it. We can learn more from each other."

Shanghai Dredging Company was founded more than a hundred years ago. Since the 1980s, it has been exploring overseas markets in Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. Its international experience benefits productivity.

HUA JIE, CAPTAIN SDC BRAZIL "Cooperation is quite smooth. Our Brazilian colleagues work very hard. Since we've been working together, we get along very well, and that means the work can be carried out effectively."

LUO JUN, PRESIDENT SDC BRAZIL "All over the world only five companies in the dredging area. Four in Europe and one in China is China dredging company."

SDC's presence in Brazil also gives many local people a chance to understand a country from the other side of the world.

Six years ago, China proposed its ambitious "Belt & Road" Initiative. But it's sometimes misunderstood as a plan exclusive to Asia, Europe and Africa.

LI YANG CHINESE CONSUL GENERAL IN RIO DE JANEIRO "Essentially, the Belt and Road Initiative is not a purely geographical concept. Now it is a platform for multilateral economic and trade cooperation in the international community, which is not limited by any geographical factors or other conditions."

Shanghai Dredging Company is not the only example of successful Chinese operations in Brazil. By the end of last year, Chinese investment in South America's largest economy had reached 70 billion US dollars in total. Xu Zhaoqun, CGTN, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.