RUN THE 'ACCELERATION' OF DEVELOPMENTON THE EVE OF CHRISTMAS, WHEN PEOPLE IN EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN COUNTRIES WERE WORRIED ABOUT BEING UNABLE TO RECEIVE CHRISTMAS GIFTS IN A TIMELY MANNER DUE TO SEA TRANSPORTATION DISRUPTIONS, CHINA EUROPE FREIGHT TRAINS WERE CONTINUOUSLY TRANSPORTING CHRISTMAS SUPPLIES FROM CHINA TO EUROPE.THIS YEAR MARKS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPERATION OF THE CHINA EUROPE FREIGHT TRAIN AND THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIFIED BRAND. AS OF THE END OF OCTOBER, THE CHINA EUROPE FREIGHT TRAIN HAS LAID OUT 73 OPERATING ROUTES, CONNECTING 175 CITIES IN 23 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, TRANSPORTING OVER 50000 TYPES OF GOODS, TIMELY DELIVERING ESSENTIAL GOODS AND PRODUCTION MATERIALS PRODUCED IN CHINA TO EUROPE, AND PROVIDING CONVENIENCE FOR EUROPEAN ENTERPRISES TO EXPORT TO CHINA.THE NUMBER OF CHINA EUROPE FREIGHT TRAINS AND FREIGHT VOLUME UNDER THE EPIDEMIC CONTINUE TO BREAK RECORDS. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM COMMISSION, FROM JANUARY TO NOVEMBER THIS YEAR, A TOTAL OF 13817 CHINA EUROPE FREIGHT TRAINS WERE OPERATED, TRANSPORTING 1.332 MILLION TEUS, AN INCREASE OF 23% AND 30% YEAR-ON-YEAR, RESPECTIVELY. AS OF THE END OF NOVEMBER THIS YEAR, THE CHINA EUROPE FREIGHT TRAIN HAS TRANSPORTED A TOTAL OF 13.43 MILLION PIECES AND 103000 TONS OF EPIDEMIC PREVENTION MATERIALS.AXEL MARTIN, THE HEAD OF THE HAMBURG PORT MARKETING ASSOCIATION IN GERMANY, RECENTLY STATED IN AN INTERVIEW WITH XINHUA NEWS AGENCY IN HAMBURG THAT CHINA PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL AND SUPPLY CHAINS. AS A RELIABLE LOGISTICS ALTERNATIVE, THE CHINA EUROPE FREIGHT TRAIN IS BENEFICIAL IN ALLEVIATING THE CURRENT SUPPLY CHAIN TENSION AND DIFFICULTIES.DU HUA, A STAFF MEMBER OF THE OVERSEAS DEPARTMENT OF CENTRAL ASIA BAOFENG INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS CO., LTD., SAID THAT THE CURRENT FREIGHT RATES OF CHINA EUROPE FREIGHT TRAINS ARE BASICALLY EQUIVALENT TO SEA FREIGHT, BUT IT ONLY TAKES HALF A MONTH TO TRAVEL BY RAILWAY, WHICH IS NEARLY HALF THE TIME OF SEA FREIGHT.TAKE A CRUCIAL STEP FORWARDON DECEMBER 3, THE CHINA LAOS RAILWAY WAS OFFICIALLY PUT INTO OPERATION, MARKING A KEY STEP FORWARD FOR THE TRANS ASIAN RAILWAY, WHICH HAS BEEN BREWING FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY. AFTER THE OPENING OF THE CHINA LAOS RAILWAY, THE DRIVING DISTANCE FROM VIENTIANE TO THE CHINA LAOS BORDER HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM 2 DAYS TO 3 HOURS, AND THE JOURNEY TO KUNMING, YUNNAN CAN BE COMPLETED DAY AFTER DAY.PICHE GUNATARA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE RAIL TRANSIT DEPARTMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT OF THAILAND, SAID IN AN INTERVIEW WITH XINHUA NEWS AGENCY: "THE OPENING OF THE CHINA LAOS RAILWAY IS CONDUCIVE TO PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE, INVESTMENT AND TOURISM IN AREAS ALONG THE RAILWAY. COUNTRIES IN THE WHOLE GREATER MEKONG REGION, INCLUDING CHINA, LAOS AND THAILAND, WILL BENEFIT FROM COMMERCE, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, CONSUMER GOODS, INVESTMENT, TOURISM AND OTHER ASPECTS."THE WORLD BANK RESEARCH REPORT SAID THAT THE CHINA LAOS RAILWAY IS EXPECTED TO REDUCE THE TRANSPORTATION COST BETWEEN VIENTIANE AND KUNMING BY 40% TO 50%; THE TRANSPORTATION COST FROM PORT OF THAILAND TO KUNMING IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE BY AT LEAST 32%. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY 2030, THE ANNUAL TRANSIT TRADE VOLUME OF GOODS PASSING THROUGH THE LAOS SECTION OF THE CHINA LAOS RAILWAY WILL REACH 3.9 MILLION TONS.THIS YEAR COINCIDES WITH THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHINA ASEAN DIALOGUE RELATIONS. THE TWO SIDES ARE PROMOTING THE DOCKING OF THE "THE BELT AND ROAD" INITIATIVE WITH THE ASEAN CONNECTIVITY MASTER PLAN 2025. ON JANUARY 1ST NEXT YEAR, THE REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP (RCEP) WILL OFFICIALLY COME INTO EFFECT. EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT THE "THE BELT AND ROAD" INITIATIVE WILL DRIVE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TRANS ASIAN RAILWAY AND PROMOTE REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY.THE 'ROAD' OF DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES TO EXTENDIN MID JUNE OF THIS YEAR, THE CONSTRUCTION CEREMONY OF THE ITHACA MWANZA SECTION OF THE TANZANIA CENTRAL LINE STANDARD GAUGE RAILWAY, WHICH WAS UNDERTAKEN BY CHINESE COMPANIES, WAS HELD. WHEN COMPLETED, THIS RAILWAY PROJECT WILL BECOME AN IMPORTANT CHANNEL CONNECTING TANZANIA, UGANDA, RWANDA, BURUNDI AND OTHER COUNTRIES AND LEADING TO THE INDIAN OCEAN, WHICH IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO PROMOTING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL COUNTRIES AND IMPROVING PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD.FROM THE TANZANIA ZAMBIA RAILWAY BUILT IN THE 1970S, TO THE RECENTLY OPENED AND OPERATIONAL ADDIS ABABA DJIBOUTI RAILWAY AND MOMBASA NAIROBI RAILWAY, TO THE NEWLY BUILT TANZANIA CENTRAL LINE STANDARD GAUGE RAILWAY, WITH THE JOINT EFFORTS OF CHINA AND AFRICA, THE "ROAD" OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT CONTINUES TO EXTEND, WITNESSING CHINA'S CONSISTENT SINCERITY AND UNWAVERING ACTIONS IN SEEKING COMMON DEVELOPMENT WITH THE WORLD.AS OF DECEMBER 16, CHINA HAS SIGNED MORE THAN 200 COOPERATION DOCUMENTS WITH 145 COUNTRIES AND 32 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO JOINTLY BUILD THE "THE BELT AND ROAD". FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THE ASIAN INVESTMENT BANK AND THE THE SILK ROAD FUND PROPOSED BY CHINA EXPAND FUNDING CHANNELS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION. THE NUMEROUS HIGHLIGHTS MARK THE SOLID AND PROFOUND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE "THE BELT AND ROAD" CONSTRUCTION.BAMBANG SURYONO, CHAIRMAN OF THE ASIAN INNOVATION RESEARCH CENTER, AN INDONESIAN THINK TANK, STATED THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY MANY COUNTRIES FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ESCAPE POVERTY IS THE WEAK CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. IN THIS REGARD, CHINA HAS SET AN EXAMPLE FOR COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.