As the U.S. launched the initiative Build Back Better World (B3W) at the G7 Summit in June, global infrastructure construction has once again become the world’s focus, sparking much discussion. The essence of connectivity construction has always been based on cooperation and win-win outcomes, and the EU’s recently approved conclusions on “A Globally Connected Europe” also shows that China and the EU still have huge potential on the issue of interconnection going forward.

On May 25, the Office for National Statistics of the U.K. released the import and export statistics for the first quarter of 2021. It showed that China had replaced Germany as the U.K.’s biggest single import market for the first time on record. Since the start of 2018, the value of goods imported from China to the U.K. increased by 65.6 percent to £ 16.9 billion (approximately RMB 153.3 billion) in the first quarter of 2021; over the same period, U.K.’s imports from Germany fell by a quarter to £ 12.5 billion (approximately RMB 113.4 billion).

The Tuanjiecun container depot in Chong-qing, a mega city in southwestern China, is a hive of activity, where overhead traveling cranes lift containers onto trains bound for Duisburg in Germany. Ten years ago, the first train of the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe international line departed here on March 19, 2011. It marked the launch of the regular express freight train service between China and Europe, known as the China-Europe Railway Express, injecting new vigor into the ancient Silk Road.

The China-Europe Railway Express marks a significant phase towards integrated Eurasian rail transportation. The railway connection between two continents became even more vital during the pandemic when the freight trains played a crucial role in stabilizing the international logistics supply chain, due to limited air and maritime transport options.

The Port of Hamburg is one of Europe’s biggest hubs for trade with China. In 2020 alone, more than 2.4 million standard containers (TEU) were handled here. Nearly one-third of all containers passing through the seaport have China as their destination or origin. A total of 15 liner services connect Hamburg with all major Chinese ports.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economies, politics, and public life worldwide, China and European countries have adhered to the path of openness and progressiveness. Leaders of the two sides stay in dialogue despite the disruptions which the pandemic has inflicted on bilateral exchanges; and the trade between them remains on track for steady growth. This has added more certainty factors to the development of both sides and the world at large.

Over the past months hostile elements in certain Western countries have trumped up charges against China concerning human rights in Xinjiang, spreading lies about “forced labor,” “genocide,” and “religious oppression” in the region. The voice of justice, however, prevails, as most countries in the world have joined China in refuting such lies on various occasions, including sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Located on the edge of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at one of the farthest points in China from the sea, stands a city that began to embrace its great economic takeoff just 10 years ago. The city is not a fictitious place from a fairytale, but a real city, located along the Belt and Road, has a vision to create a land and sea corridor that allows commercial, cultural, and idea exchanges, as it once did when it was part of the ancient Silk Road.

Since ancient times, Xinjiang has been a region where ethnic groups live together, religious beliefs are diversified, and many cultures coexist. Primitive religion and Shamanism were initially prevalent in the region. Since the fourth century BC, with the successive introduction of Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, the coexistence of multiple religions was gradually formed.

They say you never know how big China is until you come to Xinjiang, and never know how beautiful Xinjiang is until you come to Ili. Located in the Ili River Valley, west Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture boasts the magnificent Tianshan Mountains, vast grasslands, blue lakes, and romantic flower fields, attracting tens of thousands of domestic and foreign visitors every year.

Located in the northwest of China, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region boasts long hours of sunshine and ample water for irrigation — making the region geographically ideal for growing cotton. Cotton grown in Xinjiang, which has good coloration and long fiber, is favored in both domestic and foreign markets.

On May 24, 2021, I boarded a flight to Urumqi from Beijing with a group of Chinese and foreign journalists to learn more about Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a vast territory that is home to many ethnic groups and diverse cultures. The visit has left me with lasting memories and a deeper understanding of the people and the region as a whole.

There is a popular folk song in China which describes the beauty of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and harmony among the people who live there. The lyrics go like this, “Everyone says that Xinjiang is a good place, where the land is fertile and the water is clear. Xinjiang locals are good at singing and dancing, and everyone has a smiling face. In Xinjiang, cattle and sheep are seen on the affluent and endless grasslands, with the scent of milk wafting in the air...”

The Communist Party of China (CPC) turns 100 in 2021, making it a year of celebration and of historical and symbolic significance for the Chinese people. Under its leadership, China has achieved spectacular development and succeeded in eradicating extreme poverty all over the country. With the centennial celebration of the CPC, the big question that many people have in mind is how the People’s Republic of China managed to eradicate extreme poverty on its soil during a span of only several decades, a goal set by the United Nations which seemed at first a utopian, theoretical conception for many countries, especially in Africa.