At first sight, why did the general secretary say ＂historic＂

The whistle is loud and melodious, and container semi-trailers enter in an orderly manner. In the midsummer, Urumqi International Land Port Area is a busy scene.

On the afternoon of July 12th, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader came to Urumqi International Lugang District to listen to the overall situation, and to observe the on-site operations of various functional areas of the Central European Banlie (Urumqi) assembly center, Alashankou Port and Horgos Port through real-time pictures, and to have cordial exchanges with the staff and on-site clerks.

Xinjiang, the center of the Eurasian continent and the core of the ancient Silk Road; Urumqi International Land Port Area is an important hub of Eurasian Continental Bridge.

A bridge connects Europe and Asia, and the Silk Road crosses the Tianshan Mountains.

Looking back at the depths of history, Zhang Qian, the envoy of China in the Han Dynasty, shouldered the mission of peace and friendship and opened up a Silk Road that ran across the east and west and connected Europe and Asia. Since then, messengers have faced each other on the road, and business travel has been endless.

In September 2013, at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan, the Chairman of the Supreme Leader first proposed a major initiative to jointly build the "Silk Road Economic Belt", and the ancient Silk Road, which lasted for thousands of years, once again entered the world’s vision.

Nowadays, along the imprint of the old Silk Road, the "steel camel team" of the China-Europe train is full of goods, criss-crossing mountains and rivers, realizing the "handshake" between China and Europe across the continent and rejuvenating the ancient commercial road.

From "a line" to "a net";

The rapidly developing aorta

The hands of time were turned back to March 2011, and the first China-Europe train was sent from Chongqing to Duisburg, Germany, which opened the prelude to the innovative development of China-Europe trains. Three years later, the Chairman of the Supreme Leader came to Duisburg, stood at the end of the main artery of Chongqing-New Europe Railway, and watched the ancient commercial road greet the colorful spring again.

The visit route of the Chairman of the Supreme Leader is spread out in the grand narrative of the "Belt and Road". He always pays attention to the important nodes related to the China-Europe train.

In June, 2016, the Chairman of the Supreme Leader and Polish President Duda attended the ceremony of unifying the brand of China-Europe Class to Europe (Poland) in Warsaw. When the China-Europe train with a unified logo honked slowly into the platform, the two heads of state waved to the train at the viewing platform and shook hands to congratulate each other. After that, China-Europe trains entered a stage of leapfrog development.

In May 2017, at the opening ceremony of the "Belt and Road" international cooperation summit forum, the Chairman of the Supreme Leader emphasized that "China and the railway departments of relevant countries will sign an agreement to deepen the cooperation between China and Europe".

In February 2021, in the keynote speech at the China-Central and Eastern European Countries Summit, the Chairman of the Supreme Leader called for "continuing to support the development of China-Europe trains and fully tapping the potential of cooperation".

Today, China-Europe trains have accumulated more than 50,000 trains, reaching 185 cities in 23 European countries, becoming a veritable artery of international trade. From "one line" to "one network", from outstanding to flourishing, China-Europe trains have opened up new channels and paths, which are promoting the formation of an overseas channel network pattern of "smooth and efficient, multi-directional extension and land-sea interconnection".

From "economic road" to "destiny link";

Mutual benefit and win-win acceleration

For thousands of years, the changes in the road of commerce and trade have affected the rise and fall of areas along the vast Eurasian continent.

Xinjiang plays an irreplaceable role in the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

In April 2014, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader asked Xinjiang to "integrate its regional opening-up strategy into the overall layout of the construction of the national Silk Road Economic Belt and opening to the west".

During this trip to Xinjiang, in Urumqi International Land Port Area, the Supreme Leader General Secretary emphasized: "With the joint construction ‘ Belt and Road ’ In-depth promotion, Xinjiang is no longer a remote area, but a core area and a hub area. What you have done is of historical significance and has achieved good results. Make persistent efforts and have a bright future.

Urumqi International Land Port Area, a landmark project for the construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt in Xinjiang, has started construction at the end of 2015, with China-Europe trains as the main starting point, realizing the efficient operation of logistics organizations such as railways, highways, sea railways and public-rail intermodal transport, and gradually forming a two-way open channel.

Not only in Xinjiang, but also in more and more inland hinterland of China, with the help of "Iron Camel Team", the development potential has been further stimulated.

A trip to China-Europe trains has opened the door to win-win cooperation between supply and demand and complementary advantages. From 2016 to 2021, the annual transportation value of China-Europe trains increased from US$ 8 billion to US$ 74.9 billion, an increase of nine times, and its share in the total trade between China and Europe increased from 1.5% to 8%. New logistics, industry and business centers are springing up in the places where China-Europe trains pass.

Faced with the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, China-Europe train has not only become a "stabilizer" and an "accelerator" to smooth the trade between China and Europe, but also continuously delivered the epidemic prevention and anti-epidemic materials and production and daily necessities that are in short supply in the international community to European countries, becoming a "life channel" and "destiny link" for countries along the route to jointly fight the epidemic.

From "freehand brushwork" to "meticulous painting";

China’s plan to benefit the world

The silk road is prosperous, and the world is connected.

The China-Europe train that runs endlessly on the Eurasian continent has become a beautiful scenery on the "Belt and Road".

In the long river of history, there are always some wonderful moments that will be fixed as eternity. In the autumn of 2013, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader successively proposed major initiatives to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Under the global attention, this road of win-win cooperation from the depths of history has opened a new page in the process of world development.

“‘ Belt and Road ’ What we are pursuing is the great profits of a hundred flowers, not the small profits that stand out from the crowd. ""China will promote high-quality co-construction ‘ Belt and Road ’ , so that more countries and people can get development opportunities and benefits. ""Building together ‘ Belt and Road ’ It is becoming a Chinese plan for China to participate in global open cooperation, improve the global economic governance system, promote global common development and prosperity, and promote the building of a community of human destiny "… …

In recent years, a batch of flagship projects have sprung up, and people’s livelihood projects have grown up and entered the lives of people in countries and regions along the route. It is the water gushing out from the arid land, the electricity illuminating the dark night, the road reaching far away and the tomorrow worth looking forward to.

The road is far-reaching, and all rivers run into the sea. By the beginning of June this year, China had signed more than 200 cooperation documents with 149 countries and 32 international organizations to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative. The world clearly sees that the Belt and Road Initiative has turned the opportunities of the world into those of China and China.

Coordinator: Cui Shixin

Written by Yu Jiarou

Planning: Du Shangze

Editor: Wei Ran

Image source: Xinhua News Agency (photo: Li Xueren Xie Huanchi, visual: Lai Xiangdong Bi Xiaoyang)