Machine makers sharpen globally competitive edge

Chinese construction machinery manufacturers, an active force advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, are attracting growing attention for their technological prowess and rapid international expansion.

Data from the China Construction Machinery Association show the sector generated $17 billion in exports last year, including $7.41 billion from Belt and Road countries and regions, about 43.7 percent of the total.

Despite a year-on-year drop of 10.6 percent in the sector's total exports in 2016, machines exported to Belt and Road countries and regions, including India, Thailand, Australia, the Philippines, Pakistan and Algeria, maintained solid growth momentum.