Xi'an rises as an opening-up hub

Since the beginning of this year, Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, has deepened international exchanges and cooperation, expanded its opening-up, and achieved breakthroughs.

The Kazakhstan Xi'an Terminal officially commenced operations on Feb 28. Over 58,000 metric tons of goods have been gathered, transferred, and distributed at the terminal.

The terminal facilitates the rapid distribution of goods to and from Central Asia. After goods from Kazakhstan gather in Xi'an, they can transit southward via the China-Europe freight train to Guangxi, reaching countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, expanding economic and trade cooperation.

The China-Europe freight train (Xi'an), inaugurated in November 2013, was the first of its kind after the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was proposed. In just a decade, it has grown from 46 trips annually to over 5,300 trips in 2023, leading the nation in train frequency, freight volume, and container load rates.

From January to August this year, the China-Europe freight train (Xi'an) operated 3,620 trips, a 38.3 percent increase from the previous year, and transported 4.04 million tons of goods, a 33.1 percent increase.

Xi'an's Air Silk Road has expanded as the international aviation industry recovers. Xi'an Xianyang International Airport has resumed or opened 33 international routes, providing comprehensive coverage to seven cities in the five Central Asian countries and intercontinental routes to Dubai, Moscow, Sydney, and Budapest.

Xi'an's total import and export value reached 271.1 billion yuan ($38.3 billion) from January to August, a 17.2 percent increase from last year. This ranked Xi'an 19th nationally in foreign trade and 4th in growth rate.

Xi'an has established sister-city relations with 41 cities in 34 countries and fostered friendly exchanges with 68 cities (districts/counties) in 41 countries.

Meanwhile, Xi'an has utilized its educational resources to strengthen academic exchanges and educational research development with countries involved in the BRI.

Currently, 19 universities in Xi'an have admitted more than 7,600 students from countries involved in the BRI, with more than 5,100 graduations. Many graduates have chosen to work and study in China.

Ghafurova Mijgonakhon, 20, is from Tajikistan. She just finished her undergraduate studies in the School of Chinese Studies at Xi'an International Studies University and will continue to study for a master's degree there.

The city's rich culture, vitality, and opening-up have expanded its international circle, injecting new energy into the ancient Silk Road.