Photo: Liu Caihui/huanqiu.com

 "Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!" 

That's the reaction of Siddiqui Mohammad Ashraf from the Qatar Tribune to the hustle and bustle in a busy China-Kazakhstan logistics cooperation base in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province.

The Qatari journalist was attending a media tour co-organized by The Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Lianyungang Municipal People's Government.

Within the China-kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base, fleets of freight trains loaded with tires, grease processing equipment and other producer goods whistled, heading for their destinations across Central Asia.

Journalists with the media delegation all recorded the busy scene with their cameras, witnessing the unimpeded trade between China and their countries.

"I just saw how goods were transported under the BRI framework, which was the most to-the-point presentation of mutually beneficial cooperation," said Soy Sopheap form Cambodia China Journalist Association/Tamarind Tree News.

The media tour, titled "Media Representatives from SCO Countries Visiting Lianyungang in 2023," was held from May 24 to 27.

Themed "Promoting Closer Belt and Road Cooperation for Better Connectivity," it invited 20 journalists from China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other SCO countries to nine sites in Lianyungang, including the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industry Base, SCO (Lianyungang) International Logistics Park, China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base, etc.

Through the event, the journalists were brought closer to the charm of the pivot city along the Belt and Road and recorded the stories of its prosperity.

Lianyungang is a coastal city where the Maritime Silk Road joins the New Eurasian Land Bridge, an international passageway linking the Pacific and the Atlantic. Every day, there are gigantic ships docking at the city's terminals, waiting for the cargos on them to be transferred to China-Europe freight trains.

"Lianyungang just left a deep impression on me. There are so many containers and ships and I'm amazed by how busy the trade is here. This fully demonstrates to the world the strong momentum of China's economic development," said Pakistani anchor, columnist and analyst Suharwardy Muzamal.

Photo: Liu Caihui/huanqiu.com

 
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as well as the signing of the agreement on building the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base, the first physical facility under the BRI framework. Over the past decade, the logistics base has grown into a hub that efficiently coordinates ocean shipping, deep sea ports, inland waterways, international freight trains and logistics stations.

In order to better serve the BRI, Lianyungang launched the construction of the SCO (Lianyungang) International Logistics Park in April 2015. The park covers an area of 69.79 square kilometers and is home to more than 1,600 enterprises. 

According to an official from the Lianyungang Development and Reform Commission, international freight trains have made over 15,000 trips to and from the city since the New Eurasian Land Bridge first put into use in 1992. 

During the same period, the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base has witnessed a throughput of more than 1.67 million containers, and more than 200 million tons of cargos have been handled at the SCO (Lianyungang) International Logistics Park.

Assisted by these logistics facilities, Lianyungang now serves as an important pivot city along the Belt and Road contributing to mutually beneficial cooperation.

Apart from being a vital logistics hub along the Belt and Road, Lianyungang today is also known for its vigorous efforts to promote innovation.

In the Xuwei New Area of the city, there sits a world-class petrochemical industrial park. Since its inception 12 years ago, the park has witnessed a total investment of more than 32 million yuan ($4.53 million).

On May 26, journalists visited two pharmaceutical groups in Lianyungang, Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co and Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co, where they saw unattended workshops, intelligent production lines and a large number of patent certificates.

"What I saw here has to a large extent changed my opinion of China's pharmaceuticals. I'm surprised by the modernity and efficiency of the Chinese pharmaceutical industry," said by National News Agency of Uzbekistan/Fergana Journalists' Association Deputy Editor and Chairman Obidov Mukhammad.

"The media tour presented to me China's well-organized and well-planned development, which also features strong execution." said Mendis Janitha from Sri Lanka's News first -MTV Channel (PVT) LTD.

As the eastern bridgehead of the New Eurasian Land Bridge, the eastern start of the new Silk Road, and a junction of the Silk Road economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Lianyungang is committed to building a bridge of Chinese-foreign economic and cultural exchanges.

It received high recognition from the journalists attending the media tour for its rapid development, and left them envisioning the broad prospects for its future development.