Wu Gang, chairman of Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Technology, a leading Chinese wind turbine maker, said he has witnessed how China's Belt and Road Initiative developed from just a proposal more than three years ago into a practical strategy that can be incorporated into business plans for globalization.

The initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, which were proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013 to improve cooperation with countries in Asia, Europe and Africa.

"Globalization has always been Goldwind's focus and the initiative just pointed us to the promising new markets along the routes. With policy and financing support from the central government, it is an opportunity that we don't want to miss," said Wu, who is also a deputy to the 12th National People's Congress.

Based in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Goldwind overtook the longtime market leaders, Vestas of Denmark and General Electric of the United States, and installed the most turbine capacity in 2015, FTI Consulting, a business advisory group, said recently.

Like many businessmen, Wu said he wasn't quite clear about the initiative until China released a detailed strategic plan last March listing the key areas and infrastructure, including international railways and highways, that China plans to build.

"The initiative is actually an open platform built by governments along the routes for better policy coordination, connectivity of facilities, unimpeded trade, financial integration and strengthened people-to-people ties," he said.

Kazakhstan, which borders Xinjiang, is among the key markets that Goldwind plans to invest in soon.

Wu visited the country in June and discussed his idea of building a wind energy base there and the possibility of a cross-border electricity transmitting project with Kazakh officials. He also met the representative of the Silk Road Fund during his visit.

Xi said in November 2014 that China will contribute $40 billion to set up a Silk Road Fund to provide investment and financial support for infrastructure construction, industrial cooperation and other projects related to connectivity for countries along the routes.

To help people travel more conveniently between China and countries involved in the initiative, more air routes have been launched to improve connectivity.

China Southern Airlines launched a route between Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, to St Petersburg, the second-largest city in Russia, via Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, in July.

The airline has also increased the numbers of flights between Urumqi and Kazakhstan from 10 a week to 15, and also increased the number of flights between Urumqi and Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, since October last year.

China has established 75 overseas economic and trade cooperation zones in 35 countries and regions along the routes, creating 950,000 jobs over the past four years, Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng told a news conference in Beijing in February.

Contact the writers at cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn