New air route facilitates booming cargo transport between Xi'an, Milan

A flight carrying a full cabin of goods from Italy's Milan landed in Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Tuesday, marking growing bilateral trade and economic ties between the two cities thanks to a recently launched air route.

At 14:00 on Tuesday, China Eastern Airlines' flight MU5014 landed at the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, carrying 11,520 kilograms of cargo mainly consisting of high-quality large equipment parts.

Since its launch on September 26, the Xi'an-Milan route has been an active part of the Belt and Road Initiative, not only providing more convenient travel options for passengers between the two cities but also playing an important role in cargo transportation. Since the route's inauguration, 12 outbound flights have been operated, transporting a total of 117,560 kilograms of cargo to Milan.

According to Zhang Xuan, deputy general manager of the Market Department at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, this route is the second intercontinental route launched from Xi'an this year.

"In the future, Xi'an (Xianyang International) Airport will continue to expand its network towards Central Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Western Europe," Zhang said.

Today, with the addition of large return shipments, this route has become an even more important link between China and Europe. The transport of return goods, such as equipment parts, are expected to further strengthen economic exchanges and cooperation between both sides.

For European businesses, the vast potential of the Chinese market offers more development opportunities, while for relevant regions in China, high-quality European products will help boost local industrial upgrades and development.

New air route facilitates booming cargo transport between Xi'an, Milan

China's movie industry is increasingly deriving its earnings from broader consumer economy.

Released during the 2025 summer season, the film "Nobody" became China's highest-grossing two-dimensional animated film -- and its success went beyond theaters.

Through licensing and brand partnerships, the movie has generated 2.5 billion yuan (about 358.3 million U.S. dollars) in retail sales to consumers, with more than 800 licensed products on the market.

Ranging from plush toys to food and home goods, the movie-related merchandise can be purchased from over 3,000 online and offline outlets.

Meanwhile, souvenir stores are crowded at Shanghai Disneyland's Zootopia themed land, with hats, plush toys, and collectibles seeing steady demand from visitors.

"China's film industry is no longer defined by box office revenue alone. It has become a new growth engine that links and energizes multiple cultural sectors. At the heart of every successful film is strong storytelling. High-quality productions create cultural value, which in turn enhances the commercial value of intellectual property and opens up new consumption opportunities. I believe China's film industry delivered an outstanding performance in the past year," said Chen Xiaoda, vice dean of Shanghai Vancouver Film School.

Film IP fuels expansion of consumer market