Book celebrates BRI in Coin and Currency

Monica Cheru—Managing Editor 

Beijing—Author Du Xiaojian believes that many countries are coming to recognize the genuineness of China’s aspirations for shared prosperity.

Speaking at the launch of his book, “Chinese Imprint on World Currency,” in Beijing this Monday, Du and other speakers applauded the symbolic reflection of how China’s presence around the world is being celebrated and memorialized for its impact on the ordinary people in different countries.

“Over the past decades more and more currencies have begun to carry the Chinese imprint,” said Du.

Du’s book tracks Chinese projects in 58 countries

The event was attended by ambassadors from over 10 countries, including Egypt, Sri Lanka, Cape Verde, and Algeria, as well as state enterprise leaders and media from across the globe, underscoring the growing narrative that China’s Belt and Road Initiative is not just an infrastructure program but also a force shaping identity, partnership, and memory.

Du captured the stories of over 100 commemorative coins and banknotes issued by 58 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, America, and Oceania as they marked key diplomatic milestones or BRI-linked achievements.

These include the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland, the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between China and France, the Queenferry Crossing in the UK, Hybrid Rice Cultivation in Madagascar, Malawi University of Science and Technology, the Government Office Building in Samoa, the Grand People’s Study House in North Korea, the Colombo Port in Sri Lanka, and the Xeset 2 Hydropower Station in Laos.

The currencies not issued by China are initiatives by the host countries — a recognition of impactful moments in their bilateral relationship with China and a mark of sovereign decisions to immortalize an event.

Du’s book pulls disparate events in the different countries to create a ledger of China’s growing soft power.

Each of the commemorative issues featured in the book reveals something unique about China’s engagement in that country. The Kazakhstan example of “coin-in-coin” designs celebrates the ancient Sogdian trade legacy on the Silk Road — a shared historical commerce between the two countries.

 Laos’ Xeset 2 Hydropower Station is a milestone in energy cooperation and rural electrification, while Egypt’s New Suez Canal is a statement of scale and ambition.

Speaking at the book launch, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Hong Lei emphasized mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation as the pillars of China’s approach to international development.

What is interesting is that although they are diverse, the immortalized projects all represent sustainable development that is directly raising standards of living and opportunity for ordinary people.

Their tangible impact: ports that open trade, bridges that cut travel time, and power plants that bring electricity to remote villages.

As Zimbabwe approaches 50 years of formal diplomatic relations with China (2030), the question arises: Could — or should — we commemorate that partnership in currency?

It’s not a stretch. We already have a long list of China-funded and built landmark projects, including

   •   The New Parliament Building in Mt. Hampden ,

   •   Expansion and upgrades to Robert Gabriel Mugabe and the Victoria Falls international airports

   •   Kariba South Hydropower Extension

   •   The Hwange 7 & 8 thermal power units

These projects are having real effects on infrastructure, national image, and power availability. In addition, China’s growing role in agriculture, mining, and digital infrastructure touches everyday Zimbabwean life.

If Zimbabwe were to issue a commemorative coin or banknote — say in 2030 or even sooner — the most meaningful direction might not be the monumental buildings but rather symbols of lifestyle impact: clean water and electricity in rural Masvingo, where Chinese-funded projects have changed lives.

Or maybe the mobile clinics by the medical teams or young graduates who have not joined the trek to leave the country because they have jobs created by and through Chinese-financed enterprises.

As the world grows multipolar, it’s time for ordinary Zimbabweans to look beyond the diplomatic relations and reflect on how they can add their voices to the narrative to shape the nature and value of the relationship.

In Zimbabwe and other countries, our governments must open national dialogue to address concerns of the public over inclusivity at the planning stage to reflect shared national priorities, environmental and social impacts, technology and knowledge transfer, and local community benefits.

Only then can we truly take sovereign credit for the milestones we immortalize and the values we embed in shared development.

Because a coin or banknote is more than a piece of metal or paper. It should be a statement of memory, meaning, and aspiration.

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