This work aims to compare the chemical composition and anti-inflammatory effects on RAW264.7 macrophages of Keemun black tea stems and leaves.A total of 50 volatile compounds were identified in tea stems and leaves,an...This work aims to compare the chemical composition and anti-inflammatory effects on RAW264.7 macrophages of Keemun black tea stems and leaves.A total of 50 volatile compounds were identified in tea stems and leaves,and aldehydes,alcohols,and esters were the main volatile compound categories.There were 11 key volatile compounds,including geraniol,benzeneacetaldehyde,methyl salicylate,linalool,etc.contributed to distinguishing the tea stems from the tea leaves.In the quantitative and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS)-based metabolomics analysis,higher contents of amino acids,monosaccharides,and quinic acids were found in stems than those in leaves.Inversely,higher contents of tea pigments,flavan-3-ols,gallic acid,purine alkaloids,and flavonol glycosides were present in tea leaves than in stems.LC-MS-based metabolomics also revealed that organic acids were the most critical non-volatile compounds responsible for the differences between tea stems and leaves.Furthermore,tea stems had better inhibiting effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines(interleukin(IL)-1βand IL-6)in lipopolysaccharide-challenged RAW264.7 macrophages than tea leaves,while no significant differences exist between leaves and stems for inhibiting the secretion of tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α)and NO.In conclusion,our results support using Keemun black tea stems as a novel source of anti-inflammatory compounds.展开更多
The purpose of this study was to characterize mulberry leaf instant tea(MLIT)powder prepared from the'Longsang No.1'(Morus abla L.cv.Longsang 1)mulberry leaves in Heilongjiang Province(China)and assess its obe...The purpose of this study was to characterize mulberry leaf instant tea(MLIT)powder prepared from the'Longsang No.1'(Morus abla L.cv.Longsang 1)mulberry leaves in Heilongjiang Province(China)and assess its obesity-preventing/relieving effects.A total of 174 compounds including quercetin,chlorogenic acid,1-deoxyecomycin(1-DNJ)related to antihyperlipidemia effects were identified from the MLIT powder.MLIT treatment reversed the Lee's index,fat coefficient,and serum biochemical parameters in both the obesity relieving and obesity preventing mice fed with high-fat diet.In the obesity relieving experiment,the relative abundance of Desulfovibrio in mouse feces decreased after both 0.5%and 1%MLIT treatments.In obesity preventing experiments,mouse with different amount of MLIT treatments showed increased relative abundance of Akkermansia,Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus,while Deferribacteres,Desulfobacterota decreased.The beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract of mice treated with MLIT increased.This study proved that MLIT had antihyperlipidemia potential via modulating intestinal microbiota in mice.展开更多
With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, China is deepening its cooperation in oil and gas resources with countries along the Initiative. In order to better mitigate risks and enhance the safety of inv...With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, China is deepening its cooperation in oil and gas resources with countries along the Initiative. In order to better mitigate risks and enhance the safety of investments, it is of significant importance to research the oil and gas investment environment in these countries for China's overseas investment macro-layout. This paper proposes an indicator system including 27 indicators from 6 dimensions. On this basis, game theory models combined with global entropy method and analytic hierarchy process are applied to determine the combined weights, and the TOPSIS-GRA model is utilized to assess the risks of oil and gas investment in 76 countries along the Initiative from 2014 to 2021. Finally, the GM(1,1) model is employed to predict risk values for 2022-2025. In conclusion, oil and gas resources and political factors have the greatest impact on investment environment risk, and 12 countries with greater investment potential are selected through cluster analysis in conjunction with the predicted results. The research findings may provide scientific decisionmaking recommendations for the Chinese government and oil enterprises to strengthen oil and gas investment cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.展开更多
Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the major foodborne pathogenic bacterial that cause infectious diseases in humans.The previous found that a combination of kojic acid and tea polyphenols exhibited better activity ag...Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the major foodborne pathogenic bacterial that cause infectious diseases in humans.The previous found that a combination of kojic acid and tea polyphenols exhibited better activity against E.coli O157:H7 than using either alone.This study aimed to explore responses underlying the antibacterial mechanisms of kojic acid and tea polyphenols from the gene level.The functional enrichment analysis by comparing kojic acid and tea polyphenols individually or synergistically against E.coli O157:H7 found that acid resistance systems in kojic acid were activated,and the cell membrane and genomic DNA were destructed in the cells,resulting in“oxygen starvation”.The oxidative stress response triggered by tea polyphenols inhibited both sulfur uptake and the synthesis of ATP,which affected the bacteria's life metabolic process.Interestingly,we found that kojic acid combined with tea polyphenols hindered the uptake of iron that played an essential role in the synthesis of DNA,respiration,tricarboxylic acid cycle.The results suggested that the iron uptake pathways may represent a novel approach for kojic acid and tea polyphenols synergistically against E.coli O157:H7 and provided a theoretical basis for bacterial pathogen control in the food industry.展开更多
Under the new normal economy of China,“the Belt and Road ”brings challenges as well as opportunities.It also brings challenges for college English teaching. We should analyze the problems of college English teaching...Under the new normal economy of China,“the Belt and Road ”brings challenges as well as opportunities.It also brings challenges for college English teaching. We should analyze the problems of college English teaching under“the Belt and Road”to deepen the reform of the college English teaching and cultivate more high-quality talents.展开更多
Obesity is a metabolic disorder due to over-accumulation of adipose tissue and ultimately becomes a“disease”.Brown adipose tissue(BAT)thermogenesis and white adipose tissue(WAT)browning emerge as a potential strateg...Obesity is a metabolic disorder due to over-accumulation of adipose tissue and ultimately becomes a“disease”.Brown adipose tissue(BAT)thermogenesis and white adipose tissue(WAT)browning emerge as a potential strategy of anti-obesity by dissipating energy as heat.However,drugs based on adipose tissue thermogenesis have not been successfully approved yet.In current study,we found that black tea extract(BTE)obtained by patentauthorized manufacturing process prevented body weight gain as novel thermogenic activator with reduction of adiposity,improvement of adipose distribution,and glucose metabolism improvement in diet-induced obesity mice.Mechanismly,anti-obesity effect of BTE depends on promoting BAT thermogenesis and WAT browning with upregulation of uncoupling protein 1(UCP1),especially visceral adipose tissue(VAT)with browning resistance.Specifically,utilizing in silico approach of network pharmacology and molecular docking,we identified carbonic anhydrase 2(CA2)in nitrogen metabolism as anti-obesity target of BTE and further elucidated that protein kinase B(AKT)signaling pathway linked CA2 and UCP1.Meanwhile gut microbiota regulation may prompt the CA2-dependent thermogenesis activation.Our findings demonstrated anti-obesity effect of BTE as thermogenic activator through CA2-mediated BAT thermogenesis and WAT browning via CA2-AKT-UCP1 signaling pathway,which could be developed as promising anti-obesity agent with good safety and efficacy.展开更多
Obesity is associated with gut dysbiosis and metabolic endotoxin.Junshanyinzhen tea extract(JSTE)reduced fat accumulation and body weight in obese mice.However,the effects and mechanism of JSTE in preventing obesity w...Obesity is associated with gut dysbiosis and metabolic endotoxin.Junshanyinzhen tea extract(JSTE)reduced fat accumulation and body weight in obese mice.However,the effects and mechanism of JSTE in preventing obesity were unclear.Therefore,we used different doses of JSTE(75,150 and 300 mg/(kg·day))to evaluate the effect on high-fat diet(HFD)-induced rats under 8 weeks of intervention.Here,our results showed that JSTE could significantly reduce body weight gain,blood lipid levels and fat accumulation,improve fatty damage in liver tissue(P<0.05).In addition,JSTE increased the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins(P<0.05),relieved metabolic endotoxemia(P<0.05)and chronic low-grade inflammation in HFD rats.Sequencing of fecal samples showed that JSTE could effectively reverse the microbial diversity and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes to normal levels in HFD-fed rats.Desulfovibrioceae and Erysipelotrichaceae,which are positively related to obesity,were decreased by JSTE intervention(P<0.05).while Bifidobacteriaceae,Bacteroidaceae,Akkermansia,and Clostridium,which are negatively related to obesity,were increased.Together,these results suggested that JSTE might effectively prevent obesity by modulating gut microbiota dysbiosis,intestinal barrier dysfunction,metabolic endotoxemia and chronic low-grade infl ammation in HFD-induced rats.展开更多
The interaction between host circadian rhythm and gut microbes through the gut-brain axis provides new clues for tea polyphenols to improve host health.Our present research showed that oolong tea polyphenols(OTP)impro...The interaction between host circadian rhythm and gut microbes through the gut-brain axis provides new clues for tea polyphenols to improve host health.Our present research showed that oolong tea polyphenols(OTP)improved the structural disorder of the intestinal flora caused by continuous darkness,thereby modulating the production of metabolites related to pyruvate metabolism,glycolysis/gluconeogenesis,and tryptophan metabolism to alleviate the steady-state imbalance.After fecal microbiota transplantation from the OTP group,the single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that OTP significantly increased the number of hypothalamus cell clusters,up-regulated the number of astrocytes and fibroblasts,and enhanced the expression of circadian rhythm genes Cry2,Per3,Bhlhe41,Nr1d1,Nr1d2,Dbp and Rorb in hypothalamic cells.Our results confirmed that OTP can actively improve the intestinal environmental state as well as internal/peripheral circadian rhythm disorders and cognitive impairment,with potential prebiotic functional characteristics to notably contribute to host health.展开更多
China has a large solid waste stockpile and a low resource utilisation rate,and the utilisation of solid waste resources is of great significance in promoting sustainable social development.In order to further promote...China has a large solid waste stockpile and a low resource utilisation rate,and the utilisation of solid waste resources is of great significance in promoting sustainable social development.In order to further promote the green and efficient development of China's road field,an overview of the current status of the application,research progress,hot frontiers,problems and their countermeasures based on the three aspects of industrial solid wastes,engineering solid wastes and municipal solid wastes in highway engineering was conducted,and the development prospect of the resourceful utilisation of solid waste in highway engineering was outlooked,with a view to promoting the development of China's green roads.Statistics on the stockpile,utilisation and comprehensive utilisation rate of industrial solid wastes in China are presented,and the optimal mixing amount,production process and application technology of industrial solid wastes for road base materials are systematically summarised.Based on the concept of high-value utilisation of solid waste,the mechanical properties,durability,construction technology and quality control standards of engineering solid waste applied in roadbed engineering are summarised,and the difficulties in the application of engineering solid waste in road engineering are summarised.Finally,the feasibility,mechanical properties and environmental characteristics of municipal solid waste domestic waste incinerator slag,waste tyres and plastics applied in road engineering are summarised.This review can provide references and lessons for the design and development of green roads,and promote the innovation and development of greening road engineering.展开更多
With the development of economic globalization and the implementation of the Belt and Road Economic Development Strategy,China's foreign economic exchanges will become more frequent,and the demand for English prof...With the development of economic globalization and the implementation of the Belt and Road Economic Development Strategy,China's foreign economic exchanges will become more frequent,and the demand for English professionals will also in⁃crease.Judging from the current situation of English teaching in higher vocational education,higher vocational English education in our country cannot meet the needs of social development.It is necessary to proceed from the actual situation.While strengthen⁃ing the education of students'basic knowledge of English,they should also train students'practical application ability and culti⁃vate for the society.More talents are available to meet the needs of social development.展开更多
On September 7,2013,President Xi Jinping proposed the significant initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt.On October 3,2013,President Xi proposed the major initiative of jointly building the 21st Ce...On September 7,2013,President Xi Jinping proposed the significant initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt.On October 3,2013,President Xi proposed the major initiative of jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.Since its inception in the autumn of 2013,the Belt and Road initiative,envisioned as a monumental project carrying the mission of the era,has turned a new page in the global development process.Over the past 11 years,China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co.,Ltd.(CPP)has thoroughly implemented the strategic deployment of China National Petroleum Corporation(CNPC),actively fulfilled its corporate responsibilities,and embraced high-quality participation in the Belt and Road Initiative as its mission.By fully leveraging its international advantages,CPP has continuously contributed“pipeline strength”to the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.展开更多
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(32122079,32072633)Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-19)+2 种基金Anhui Key Research and Development Plan(202104b11020001)Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by National CAST(2016QNRC001)High-level Introduced Talent Sponsorship Program by Anhui Agricultural University(rc352203)。
文摘This work aims to compare the chemical composition and anti-inflammatory effects on RAW264.7 macrophages of Keemun black tea stems and leaves.A total of 50 volatile compounds were identified in tea stems and leaves,and aldehydes,alcohols,and esters were the main volatile compound categories.There were 11 key volatile compounds,including geraniol,benzeneacetaldehyde,methyl salicylate,linalool,etc.contributed to distinguishing the tea stems from the tea leaves.In the quantitative and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS)-based metabolomics analysis,higher contents of amino acids,monosaccharides,and quinic acids were found in stems than those in leaves.Inversely,higher contents of tea pigments,flavan-3-ols,gallic acid,purine alkaloids,and flavonol glycosides were present in tea leaves than in stems.LC-MS-based metabolomics also revealed that organic acids were the most critical non-volatile compounds responsible for the differences between tea stems and leaves.Furthermore,tea stems had better inhibiting effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines(interleukin(IL)-1βand IL-6)in lipopolysaccharide-challenged RAW264.7 macrophages than tea leaves,while no significant differences exist between leaves and stems for inhibiting the secretion of tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α)and NO.In conclusion,our results support using Keemun black tea stems as a novel source of anti-inflammatory compounds.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (LH2021C075)Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry (Heilongjiang University),Ministry of Education。
文摘The purpose of this study was to characterize mulberry leaf instant tea(MLIT)powder prepared from the'Longsang No.1'(Morus abla L.cv.Longsang 1)mulberry leaves in Heilongjiang Province(China)and assess its obesity-preventing/relieving effects.A total of 174 compounds including quercetin,chlorogenic acid,1-deoxyecomycin(1-DNJ)related to antihyperlipidemia effects were identified from the MLIT powder.MLIT treatment reversed the Lee's index,fat coefficient,and serum biochemical parameters in both the obesity relieving and obesity preventing mice fed with high-fat diet.In the obesity relieving experiment,the relative abundance of Desulfovibrio in mouse feces decreased after both 0.5%and 1%MLIT treatments.In obesity preventing experiments,mouse with different amount of MLIT treatments showed increased relative abundance of Akkermansia,Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus,while Deferribacteres,Desulfobacterota decreased.The beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract of mice treated with MLIT increased.This study proved that MLIT had antihyperlipidemia potential via modulating intestinal microbiota in mice.
基金the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(71934004)Key Projects of the National Social Science Foundation(23AZD065)the Project of the CNOOC Energy Economics Institute(EEI-2022-IESA0009)。
文摘With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, China is deepening its cooperation in oil and gas resources with countries along the Initiative. In order to better mitigate risks and enhance the safety of investments, it is of significant importance to research the oil and gas investment environment in these countries for China's overseas investment macro-layout. This paper proposes an indicator system including 27 indicators from 6 dimensions. On this basis, game theory models combined with global entropy method and analytic hierarchy process are applied to determine the combined weights, and the TOPSIS-GRA model is utilized to assess the risks of oil and gas investment in 76 countries along the Initiative from 2014 to 2021. Finally, the GM(1,1) model is employed to predict risk values for 2022-2025. In conclusion, oil and gas resources and political factors have the greatest impact on investment environment risk, and 12 countries with greater investment potential are selected through cluster analysis in conjunction with the predicted results. The research findings may provide scientific decisionmaking recommendations for the Chinese government and oil enterprises to strengthen oil and gas investment cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(31972021)R&D Projects in Key Areas of Guangdong Province(2019B020212003)+4 种基金the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou,China(202206010177)Guangdong key research and development program(2021B0202060001)Foshan and agricultural academy cooperation projectGuangdong Modern Agriculture project(2022KJ117)Aquatic Products Center Project of GAAS。
文摘Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the major foodborne pathogenic bacterial that cause infectious diseases in humans.The previous found that a combination of kojic acid and tea polyphenols exhibited better activity against E.coli O157:H7 than using either alone.This study aimed to explore responses underlying the antibacterial mechanisms of kojic acid and tea polyphenols from the gene level.The functional enrichment analysis by comparing kojic acid and tea polyphenols individually or synergistically against E.coli O157:H7 found that acid resistance systems in kojic acid were activated,and the cell membrane and genomic DNA were destructed in the cells,resulting in“oxygen starvation”.The oxidative stress response triggered by tea polyphenols inhibited both sulfur uptake and the synthesis of ATP,which affected the bacteria's life metabolic process.Interestingly,we found that kojic acid combined with tea polyphenols hindered the uptake of iron that played an essential role in the synthesis of DNA,respiration,tricarboxylic acid cycle.The results suggested that the iron uptake pathways may represent a novel approach for kojic acid and tea polyphenols synergistically against E.coli O157:H7 and provided a theoretical basis for bacterial pathogen control in the food industry.
文摘Under the new normal economy of China,“the Belt and Road ”brings challenges as well as opportunities.It also brings challenges for college English teaching. We should analyze the problems of college English teaching under“the Belt and Road”to deepen the reform of the college English teaching and cultivate more high-quality talents.
基金funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC 82070877)CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(CIFMS)(2022-I2M-JB-010,2021-I2M-1-005)The National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(2017YFE0112900).
文摘Obesity is a metabolic disorder due to over-accumulation of adipose tissue and ultimately becomes a“disease”.Brown adipose tissue(BAT)thermogenesis and white adipose tissue(WAT)browning emerge as a potential strategy of anti-obesity by dissipating energy as heat.However,drugs based on adipose tissue thermogenesis have not been successfully approved yet.In current study,we found that black tea extract(BTE)obtained by patentauthorized manufacturing process prevented body weight gain as novel thermogenic activator with reduction of adiposity,improvement of adipose distribution,and glucose metabolism improvement in diet-induced obesity mice.Mechanismly,anti-obesity effect of BTE depends on promoting BAT thermogenesis and WAT browning with upregulation of uncoupling protein 1(UCP1),especially visceral adipose tissue(VAT)with browning resistance.Specifically,utilizing in silico approach of network pharmacology and molecular docking,we identified carbonic anhydrase 2(CA2)in nitrogen metabolism as anti-obesity target of BTE and further elucidated that protein kinase B(AKT)signaling pathway linked CA2 and UCP1.Meanwhile gut microbiota regulation may prompt the CA2-dependent thermogenesis activation.Our findings demonstrated anti-obesity effect of BTE as thermogenic activator through CA2-mediated BAT thermogenesis and WAT browning via CA2-AKT-UCP1 signaling pathway,which could be developed as promising anti-obesity agent with good safety and efficacy.
基金supported by National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System(CARS-23)Yueyang Yellow Tea Product Innovation Research Project(2018xny-js053).
文摘Obesity is associated with gut dysbiosis and metabolic endotoxin.Junshanyinzhen tea extract(JSTE)reduced fat accumulation and body weight in obese mice.However,the effects and mechanism of JSTE in preventing obesity were unclear.Therefore,we used different doses of JSTE(75,150 and 300 mg/(kg·day))to evaluate the effect on high-fat diet(HFD)-induced rats under 8 weeks of intervention.Here,our results showed that JSTE could significantly reduce body weight gain,blood lipid levels and fat accumulation,improve fatty damage in liver tissue(P<0.05).In addition,JSTE increased the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins(P<0.05),relieved metabolic endotoxemia(P<0.05)and chronic low-grade inflammation in HFD rats.Sequencing of fecal samples showed that JSTE could effectively reverse the microbial diversity and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes to normal levels in HFD-fed rats.Desulfovibrioceae and Erysipelotrichaceae,which are positively related to obesity,were decreased by JSTE intervention(P<0.05).while Bifidobacteriaceae,Bacteroidaceae,Akkermansia,and Clostridium,which are negatively related to obesity,were increased.Together,these results suggested that JSTE might effectively prevent obesity by modulating gut microbiota dysbiosis,intestinal barrier dysfunction,metabolic endotoxemia and chronic low-grade infl ammation in HFD-induced rats.
基金sponsored by the Ningbo Natural Science Foundation(2021J107)。
文摘The interaction between host circadian rhythm and gut microbes through the gut-brain axis provides new clues for tea polyphenols to improve host health.Our present research showed that oolong tea polyphenols(OTP)improved the structural disorder of the intestinal flora caused by continuous darkness,thereby modulating the production of metabolites related to pyruvate metabolism,glycolysis/gluconeogenesis,and tryptophan metabolism to alleviate the steady-state imbalance.After fecal microbiota transplantation from the OTP group,the single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that OTP significantly increased the number of hypothalamus cell clusters,up-regulated the number of astrocytes and fibroblasts,and enhanced the expression of circadian rhythm genes Cry2,Per3,Bhlhe41,Nr1d1,Nr1d2,Dbp and Rorb in hypothalamic cells.Our results confirmed that OTP can actively improve the intestinal environmental state as well as internal/peripheral circadian rhythm disorders and cognitive impairment,with potential prebiotic functional characteristics to notably contribute to host health.
文摘China has a large solid waste stockpile and a low resource utilisation rate,and the utilisation of solid waste resources is of great significance in promoting sustainable social development.In order to further promote the green and efficient development of China's road field,an overview of the current status of the application,research progress,hot frontiers,problems and their countermeasures based on the three aspects of industrial solid wastes,engineering solid wastes and municipal solid wastes in highway engineering was conducted,and the development prospect of the resourceful utilisation of solid waste in highway engineering was outlooked,with a view to promoting the development of China's green roads.Statistics on the stockpile,utilisation and comprehensive utilisation rate of industrial solid wastes in China are presented,and the optimal mixing amount,production process and application technology of industrial solid wastes for road base materials are systematically summarised.Based on the concept of high-value utilisation of solid waste,the mechanical properties,durability,construction technology and quality control standards of engineering solid waste applied in roadbed engineering are summarised,and the difficulties in the application of engineering solid waste in road engineering are summarised.Finally,the feasibility,mechanical properties and environmental characteristics of municipal solid waste domestic waste incinerator slag,waste tyres and plastics applied in road engineering are summarised.This review can provide references and lessons for the design and development of green roads,and promote the innovation and development of greening road engineering.
文摘With the development of economic globalization and the implementation of the Belt and Road Economic Development Strategy,China's foreign economic exchanges will become more frequent,and the demand for English professionals will also in⁃crease.Judging from the current situation of English teaching in higher vocational education,higher vocational English education in our country cannot meet the needs of social development.It is necessary to proceed from the actual situation.While strengthen⁃ing the education of students'basic knowledge of English,they should also train students'practical application ability and culti⁃vate for the society.More talents are available to meet the needs of social development.
文摘On September 7,2013,President Xi Jinping proposed the significant initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt.On October 3,2013,President Xi proposed the major initiative of jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.Since its inception in the autumn of 2013,the Belt and Road initiative,envisioned as a monumental project carrying the mission of the era,has turned a new page in the global development process.Over the past 11 years,China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co.,Ltd.(CPP)has thoroughly implemented the strategic deployment of China National Petroleum Corporation(CNPC),actively fulfilled its corporate responsibilities,and embraced high-quality participation in the Belt and Road Initiative as its mission.By fully leveraging its international advantages,CPP has continuously contributed“pipeline strength”to the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.