Railway departments in China and Kazakhstan have collaborated to improve China-Europe freight train services, aiming to build it as a pivotal trade route between Europe and Asia, bolstered by the growing synergy between China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Kazakhstan's "Bright Road" economic policy in recent years.
Kazakhstan is one of the first countries to support the BRI and also a key transit country for the China-Europe freight train route. Since this year, China and Kazakhstan's railway departments have initiated regular meetings at different levels to strengthen daily online and offline communication and collaboration. They exchange daily reports on train numbers and types to ensure the smooth operation of the trains.
Currently, the railway department of Xinjiang, a provincial-level region in northwest China with the largest number of land ports in the country, is using a digital rail program and collaborating with customs and border inspection departments to streamline the transshipment of China-Europe freight trains and facilitate customs clearance, which enhances railway transport services.
"Our station reserves tracks in advance to ensure uninterrupted train operations. We also make coordinated efforts with customs and other departments to streamline procedures like inspections and customs clearance. This has accelerated outbound train turnover and shortened outbound customs clearance to less than five hours while speeding up the inbound cargo transfer process by four hours," said Yang Rui, deputy director of production safety command center at the Alashankou station, a crucial hub connecting China with Central Asia and Europe.
In recent years, the number of China-Europe freight train services has steadily risen. These trains now reach 223 cities in 25 European countries, linking over 100 cities across 11 Asian countries. This extensive network has made the China-Europe freight train a crucial trade route bridging Asia and Europe.
China, Kazakhstan double down on Eurasia unimpeded cargo passage
China, Kazakhstan double down on Eurasia unimpeded cargo passage
Displaced people from southern Lebanon are returning to their homes as a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect, while it seems a tremendous task to rebuild ruined homes.
Nearly 38,000 Lebanese homes have been destroyed or damaged since early March in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Besides the southern district of Beirut, Nabateih is not an exception to Israel's heavy bombardment north of the Litani River. People there have been suffering during the war. As the ceasefire came into effect, it seems they will continue to suffer as they rebuild the city.
Fifty percent of all the damaged buildings in Lebanon in this latest conflict are in Nabatieh Province. It stretches from the Israeli border to north of the Litani River, where its capital, Nabatieh, is located.
Fadl Hodroj is fixing a security grille damaged by an Israeli bomb.
"Israel was very aggressive. They bombed a lot of residential buildings. They strike buildings with enough force to damage the entire surroundings, an entire district, or the markets. In all villages, you will find the same kind of destruction. No one else does this except for Israel; their main goal is to harm the people and destroy their livelihood. They think they will force us out of the south, but we will stand strong and rebuild it again and again. In the end, this land is ours," said Fadl Hodroj, a repairman.
Fadl's comments resonate in the streets of this quiet city, which once had a population of 90,000. Although there is a ceasefire, few have returned. Ibrahim Sarhan is one of them.
"The house was a mess, with scattered aluminum and glass. But overall, as long as the building is standing, we thank God. A home is not the walls, but the memories -- images that move with you from one room to the other. A young boy who was just two years old, now he’s 30, 40 or 50. Then his kids now roam between the same walls. This is a family house, just like any other family in the south, it contains warmth. Also, the neighbors stand next to each other during the hard times and help one another," said Ibrahim Sarhan, a Nabatieh resident.
Sarhan texted his mother a picture of her favorite chair and table on the balcony, where she had her morning coffee. He didn't show her these visuals of his best friend spraying two containers of air freshener.
They couldn't dare open the fridge because of the intense smell of rotten meat and poultry, so they threw it away.
"The fridge was always loaded with food because we could have a sudden visit from another family. We would start cooking on the spot and prepare you a hot meal without wasting time running to the store for ingredients. Now, it's all rotten and gone bad. God willing, we will get a new fridge soon," Sarhan said.
More than 7,000 buildings have been either demolished or heavily damaged there, making Nabateih second to Beirut in terms of destruction.
More than a million people have been displaced. The few who still live here are wondering and waiting to see if the 10-day temporary truce will continue.
Displaced Lebanese return home for reconstruction
