The northwestern Chinese province of Shaanxi has been endeavoring to strengthen its connection with the outside world.

“From the second half of last year, we’ve transported 7,000 varieties of flour from foreign countries to China. In 2017, we’re planned to import 10,000 tons of flour and wheat from Kazakhstan,” said Jia Heyi, president of the Xi’an Aiju Grain and Oil Industrial Group.

“Kazakhstan covers a vast territory and every year we buy hundreds of thousands of tons rapeseed and wheat from the country,” said Jia. “We’ve also cooperated with Kazakhstani farmers to launch agricultural cooperatives there.”

Zhai Ruopeng, a staff member from the Xi’an International Trade and Logistics Investment Development Group, explained that wheat from Kazakhstan is carried to Xi’an via China-Europe freight trains. Currently, over 300 freight services are in operation, connecting Xi’an with various cities including Moscow, Hamburg, Warsaw and Budapest.

Supplemental to railways, air freight services are also now available. “In 2016, the first direct flight service was launched between XI’an and Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, cutting transportation time to only three days,” said Zhai.

Xi’an International Trade and Logistics Park, a key component of the Belt and Road Initiative, has processed an increasing amount of international cargo. Official statistics show that over 2.6 million tons of cargo has been processed in the logistics park.

The Xi’an Logistics Park has been designated as a port for grain and meat imports. To create a user-friendly environment, the park has cut red tape and streamlined many procedures.

The Xi’an International Trade and Logistics Park in Shaanxi province. [Photo/itl.gov.cn]

Source from China Daily