More than 2,000 years ago, camel bell caravans crossed the vast desert and embarked on a Silk Road connecting the East and the West. Nowadays, China-Europe freight trains are fully loaded with goods traveling through the Eurasian continent, and the sound of camel bells can be heard again on the ancient Silk Road. As the flagship project and iconic brand of the “One Belt and One Road” initiative, in the first quarter of this year, China-Europe freight trains operated a total of 4,541 times, delivering 493,000 TEUs of goods, a year-on-year increase of 9% and 10% respectively, building a happy bridge of “two-way travel” .

China-Europe freight trains inject new impetus into global economic development. Since the first China-Europe freight train departed from Chongqing Tuanjie Village Central Station in 2011, as of April 1, 2024, the China-Europe freight train (Chengdu-Chongqing) has operated a total of more than 15,000 trains, with more than 50 stable operating lines, covering nearly 40 countries. More than 110 cities in countries and regions. Connecting dots to form a thread, weaving threads to form a network, China has a strong consumer market and manufacturing base, while Asian and European countries have certain advantages in their technology, resources, etc., and the China-Europe trains closely connect them to achieve national unity. The complementary advantages between countries have promoted free trade, accelerated the diversification of global logistics hubs, and opened up a broader path for common development among countries.

China-Europe freight trains have brought international logistics into the "fast lane". Technological empowerment has improved the speed and quality of China-Europe freight trains. Relying on information technologies such as Beidou satellite positioning and 5G, China-Europe freight trains have stronger transport capacity and faster speeds. On March 14, the first China-Europe freight train line from Heilongjiang to the Netherlands was successfully launched. A "steel camel fleet" loaded with 1,300 tons of amino acids is expected to arrive in Tilburg, the Netherlands, in about 15 days. Compared with sea transportation, the delivery time will be saved by about 15 days. Two-thirds, the transportation distance is reduced by one-half, greatly improving transportation efficiency. The improvement of transportation efficiency has made the logistics system more fluid and accelerated the speed of commercial exchanges between countries. China-Europe trains have become an indispensable "stabilizer" in the current enterprise supply chain.

China-Europe freight trains achieve unity and cooperation in opening up to the outside world. Better sharing China's development dividends with other countries is also an important part of win-win cooperation. Adhering to the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit, China-Europe trains have created a new pattern of international transportation between Asia and Europe. It has enhanced the confidence of all countries to overcome the difficulties together, made new and greater contributions to promoting global economic development, improving the well-being of people of all countries, promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and helping people of all countries move towards a better future.

There are close friends in the sea, and there are neighbors in the world. The China-Europe trains cross ravines and cross mountains and seas, strengthening the closeness between countries and expanding the "circle of friends" for win-win cooperation. The positive development data are also particularly eye-catching. The China-Europe trains build a two-way bridge of mutual benefit. The Bridge of Unity and the Bridge of Happiness.Editor/Zhao E