Describing the China-Europe freight train as a "epitome of China's cooperation with the world in connectivity", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday that China is committed to serving as a driving force for global interconnectivity.
According to the latest data, the China-Europe freight train has made over 110,000 trips, with the accumulative value of goods transported surpassing 450 billion U.S. dollars.
At a regular press briefing in Beijing, Lin emphasized the significance of the China-Europe freight train as a landmark achievement of the Belt and Road Initiative.
At present, a total of 128 Chinese cities have launched the China-Europe freight train service, reaching 229 cities in 26 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries, with departures averaging every half an hour, he said, citing the data.
"The efficient, stable and smooth operation of China-Europe freight train not only serves as a bridge for economic and trade exchanges between Asia and Europe, but also injects development momentum into countries along the route. The China-Europe freight train is a epitome of China's cooperation with the world in connectivity. Whether it is the smooth operation of the China-Laos Railway, the Western Land-Sea New Corridor trains, or the under-construction China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, these new logistics channels have enhanced cross-border logistics efficiency, promoted personnel exchanges and trade, deepened industrial collaboration and value chain integration, driven industrial transformation and upgrading in related countries, and brought tangible benefits to local peoples," Lin said.
"Connectivity is a key area of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. China will adhere to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, continue to serve as a driving force for global interconnectivity, leverage our own development to benefit the world and achieve win-win outcomes for all parties," he said.
China committed to promoting global interconnectivity: FM spokesman
Japan should better inform its younger generations about its history of aggression during World War II (WWII) to raise anti-war awareness in society, according to descendants of Japanese invaders in China during WWII.
On July 7, 1937, Japanese troops attacked Chinese forces at the Lugou Bridge on the outskirts of Beijing, marking the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China and China's nationwide resistance against the Japanese invaders, initiating a whole-of-nation war effort that opened the main Eastern battlefield in the global war against fascism.
In a recent interview with China Media Group, Kuroi Akio, one of the five descendants who visited China last year for an apology tour, warned about the lack of information in today's education system regarding Japan's wartime invasion of China and other Asian countries.
"Three years ago, I asked a group of children between the ages of six and 10 if Japan had ever been in a war and where it was fought. About 70 children raised their hands, so I asked them one by one. Every child answered 'America,' and not one mentioned any other country. The children knew about the war with the United States and the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, they didn't know about Japan's invasions of China, the Korean Peninsula, China's Taiwan region, Indonesia, and the Philippines. This is the reality, and that's why the education in Japan is so hopeless," said Kuroi, who knelt down before the Chinese people during his apology tour in northeast China's Jilin Province last September.
Kurokawa Yasuko, another descendant, also called for better education in Japan about its wartime history, saying it was essential for a properly informed public opinion.
"I think that [the lack of war history education] is wrong. It's important to teach students the history of Japan's invasion to others in the modern world, otherwise the public opinion of this country will be steered in the wrong direction," she said.
"We hope to create a strong anti-war public opinion in Japan. My activities are called 'micro-power' in Japan, a tiny power indeed, but by gathering voices of support and agreement, such drops of water will become a stream, a river, and eventually an ocean. Without a peaceful future, mankind can't survive. Humanity's future can only be realized through the belief in peace," Kuroi said.
Japan should better inform younger generations about its wartime atrocities: WWII descendants
