Goods shipped through China's Silk Road Maritime routes register double-digit growth in Q1

Goods shipped via China's Silk Road Maritime shipping routes registered a double-digit growth over the first quarter of 2025, according to data released by Xiamen Customs.

The 128 container shipping routes recorded a 17.7 percent year-on-year increase in voyages, while container throughput rose 13.7 percent year on year, according to the data.

The Silk Road Maritime, launched in December 2018, is China's first international comprehensive shipping logistics service platform operating under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Silk Road Maritime routes are highly favored by foreign trade enterprises.

The Silk Road Maritime enhances trade cooperation by improving port and shipping services, promotes exchanges among BRI partners through trade, and facilitates the alignment of commercial flow, information flow, goods flow, and value flow. Its scale has continuously expanded since its launch.

As of now, a total of 18,731 voyages have been completed along the Silk Road Maritime shipping routes, with a cumulative container throughput exceeding 22.1 million TEUs, reaching 147 ports in 46 countries and regions.

Xiamen Port currently operates 61 Silk Road Maritime routes, having completed 12,342 voyages and handled more than 13.87 million TEUs to date.

To fully leverage the advantages of Silk Road Maritime and assist Chinese enterprises in exploring overseas markets, Xiamen Customs is continuously optimizing clearance processes to upgrade the Silk Road Maritime into a key driver of economic development.

Goods shipped through China's Silk Road Maritime routes register double-digit growth in Q1

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