Direct train service launched between Urumqi, Hami in China's Xinjiang

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region launched a new bullet train service on Thursday, offering a direct connection between its capital city Urumqi and Hami, another important city in the region.   The service allows passengers to travel between the two cities in just two hours and 29 minutes, a reduction of up to 58 minutes compared with other bullet trains running on the same route.   The direct service is a major step towards improving transportation in Xinjiang, making travel more convenient for local residents. With this new service, Urumqi is now directly connected by train services to seven other key cities within Xinjiang.   Urumqi resident Shao Liping expressed her appreciation for the time-saving benefit of the new service.   "Previously, the trip from Urumqi to Hami took over three hours. But now, I noticed the travel time has been shortened by more than half an hour, and it's only two and a half hours. For people like us who commute to work, this extra half hour is really convenient. In the summer, we'll have time to have a meal and do some sightseeing in Hami. In the winter, the temperature won't be too low and it won't get too dark when we arrive there," said Shao.   Hami resident Zhang Wei also welcomed the new service.   "I hope Xinjiang can introduce more such direct train services, as this would greatly shorten the distance between our living and working areas," said Zhang.   The launch of this new bullet train service is expected to further stimulate local socioeconomic development.

"The launch of this train service enables a direct point-to-point connection between the two cities without any stops along the way. With this, Xinjiang's railway authorities now operate direct train services connecting Urumqi to seven other key cities, including Yining, Bole, Karamay, Kashgar, Aksu, Korla, and Hami. This new service offers local passengers a new travel option and a new experience, while also contributing to the prosperity and development of the local economy," said Yang Li, a staff member of China Railway Urumqi Bureau.

Direct train service launched between Urumqi, Hami in China's Xinjiang

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that Seoul firmly adheres to the one-China principle, in comments made ahead of his upcoming state visit to China.

The remarks were made in an interview with China Media Group (CMG). The visit is scheduled for Jan 4–7.

"The consensus reached between governments of the Republic of Korea and China when diplomatic relations were established continues to be the fundamental principle governing our relations, and its effectiveness remains steadfast. I want to clearly state that the ROK has always adhered to the one-China principle. Maintaining peace and stability in regional matters, including in Northeast Asia and concerning the Taiwan issue, holds significant importance to us," said Lee.

"The foundational relationship between the ROK and China was established on a very principled and fundamental basis from the beginning. It is clear that the ROK government has always adhered to this position and has never wavered from it. I believe that the sound development of ROK-China relations depends on both sides fully respecting each other's core interests and being mutually tolerant of each other's positions. In this context, we will, as always, uphold the one-China principle as the Taiwan issue is China's most fundamental concern," he said.

ROK president reiterates firm adherence to one-China principle