Reporters from some leading media outlets in China and nine central and eastern European countries visit Shijiazhuang International Land Port in Gaoyi County, Shijiazhuang City, capital of north China's Hebei Province on May 29, 2023. (Photo by Zhu Shijun)

Nearly 30 reporters from some leading media outlets in China like People's Daily, the Xinhua News Agency, CGTN and nine central and eastern European countries visited the Shijiazhuang International Land Port on May 29. The port is located in Gaoyi County of Shijiazhuang City, capital of north China's Hebei Province.

The visit is part of the activities launched by the Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC Cooperation), a cross-regional cooperation platform, to boost media cooperation between the two sides.

As 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, it is of great significance for foreign media reporters to get the latest information about the development of this international land port and the China-Europe freight train service in China.

As a national first-class railway logistics base and a national logistics land port hub, the Shijiazhuang International Land Port is the only one of its kind in Hebei Province that can operate the freight train service of the China-Europe Railway Express on a regular basis. It is also a key project for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

The port launched its first freight train service of the China-Europe Railway Express on June 28, 2018. It operated 105 trains in 2020, 212 trains in 2021 and 506 trains in 2022, ranking first in China for three consecutive years in terms of growth. This year, the port had operated 241 China-Europe freight trains as of May 16, carrying 24,694 containers weighing 253,600 tons and valued at 3.555 billion yuan.

Reporters from some leading media outlets in China and nine central and eastern European countries visit Shijiazhuang International Land Port in Gaoyi County, Shijiazhuang City, capital of north China's Hebei Province on May 29, 2023. (Photo by Zhu Shijun)

Guo Quanfu, Executive President of the Hebei Land Port Group, said that the Shijiazhuang International Land Port will continuously boost port transformation and upgrading, integrate resources and optimize port functions so as to turn itself into a hub of China-Europe freight train service in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

In addition, the port will serve as a platform to link up more resources related to“B&R”development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and build itself into a new gateway for the opening up of Hebei Province.

"China is really an interesting country with the beautiful future. I feel that the future is coming now," said Ratajkoski Dime, a reporter from Macedonian Radio & Television (MRT) who gave thumbs up to the development of China.

Hebei New Speed Toys Co., Ltd. is an enterprise mainly selling children's toys to Poland. Since choosing the China-Europe freight train service in 2021, it has developed a close relationship with the Shijiazhuang International Land Port.

"In the past, we had to go to a sea port to find and bring empty containers to our company and then send the loaded containers back to the sea port if we wanted to engage in foreign trade," said Nie Wenlei, General Manager of Hebei New Speed Toys Co., Ltd.

A China-Europe freight train is departing from Shijiazhuang International Land Port on May 29, 2023. (Photo by Zhu Shijun)

Now the Shijiazhuang International Land Port provides companies with a convenient international land transport channel, where foreign trade goods can go through customs in the port area and be exported directly via the China-Europe freight trains.

Nie Wenlei said this not only saves costs but also greatly improves transport efficiency. Currently, most of the company's export products are shipped abroad through the Shijiazhuang International Land Port.

Ratajkoski Dime, a reporter from Macedonian Radio & Television said that it's a great opportunity to see the land port as the freight train brings China, Macedonia and other European countries closer than before.

The visit, candid exchanges and vivid examples illustrated how the Shijiazhuang International Land Port has embarked on a path of win-win cooperation, and how Hebei Province has explored new opportunities to conduct logistics cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road.

The visiting foreign media reporters highly lauded the port, saying this visit was an opportunity for them to know the close connectivity of Hebei with the outside world and feel the confidence of Hebei Province in promoting high-standard opening-up.