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China and Belarus are building an economic trade zone so huge it will rival Barcelona or Dublin in footprint. It’s called Great Stone and it’s imagined as a futurist city - clean, green, and super modern - where pioneers of industry and technology will make their home. President Xi Jingping calls Great Stone a ‘Pearl’ of his New Silk Road - a turbo-charged version of ancient East-West trading routes. Belarus is gradually opening up after years of post-Soviet caution. It’s keen to encourage international investment as its old Soviet era industries prove difficult to reform. Optimistic Belarusians point to their advantageous geography - the jig-saw piece between the European Union and Russia; their educated workforce and their impressive track record in high-tech innovation.

Producer/Presenter: Monica Whitlock
Image: Model of the giant industrial park being built by Belarus and China.
Credit: Â鶹ԼÅÄ/Monica Whitlock