Journalist and analyst Pepe Escobar discussed the transformations he witnessed in China on his show "Pepe's Café." Escobar directly released a video from Gansu Province in western China, where he stated that China is achieving its development goals at a "high-speed train pace of the 21st century," combining technology, industrialization, energy transformation, cultural preservation, and regional integration.

He observed that during his visits to cities such as Dunhuang and Lanzhou, he saw "a highly electrified China" with vast areas of solar panels and wind turbines powering the expanding industrial zones. Escobar also mentioned the modern railway infrastructure, with high-speed trains shuttling between deserts, mountains, and industrial areas. He remarked, "In practice and development, you can feel the force of China's development and how it is achieving and surpassing the set development goals."

During his journey to "retrace" the ancient Silk Road, Escobar experienced the historical and cultural significance of the Gansu region, such as the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, representing the pinnacle of Chinese Buddhist art from the 4th to the 14th century. For Escobar, this trip highlighted how China combines millennia-old traditions with rapid modernization to strengthen its position as a global powerhouse in various fields. He said, "Seeing this in the microcosm is very impressive, not only in the macrocosm, at big summits and speeches, but also in everyday life, when you can witness this phenomenon while traveling on high-speed trains between different towns."