In the first quarter of the year, the Erenhot Railway Port, a key hub on the "middle corridor" of the China-Europe Railway Express, handled a record-high 1,145 freight train trips, a 22.3 percent increase from last year.
Cargo volumes also rose steadily, with the port transporting 110,200 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers and 946,400 tonnes of goods in first three months, up 14.6 percent and 19.7 percent year on year, respectively.
The railway network serves as a major platform for the Belt and Road Initiative. It consists of western, eastern, and middle corridors, and has been expanding its reach across Eurasia in recent years. In January, a new route linking Russia's Solombarka and Weizi Town in north China's Shanxi Province was launched via Erenhot, bringing the total number of routes to 75.
The network now connects to more than 70 logistics hubs in over 10 countries, including Germany and Poland, while linking with most major China-Europe freight train departure cities nationwide.
Erenhot Railway Port handles record 1,145 China-Europe freight trains in Q1
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday that China stands ready to work with Bahrain to push for ceasefire, restore peace and achieve lasting stability in the Middle East.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone conversation with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani at the latter's request.
Zayani, current chair of the Ministerial Council of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council which also includes Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates besides Bahrain, briefed Wang on the latest developments in the Middle East and Bahrain's position, noting that the Gulf countries currently face severe security challenges and that shipping passage in the Strait of Hormuz has been obstructed.
He expressed Bahrain's readiness to leverage the United Nations Security Council to play a role in resolving the issue of shipping passage through the Strait, voicing the hope for strengthening communication and coordination with China.
Wang made clear China's principled stance of opposing aggression and advocating peace.
He recalled that China and Pakistan recently issued a five-point initiative to restore peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East, which includes calls for an end to attacks on civilians and non-military targets, ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz, and restoring normal shipping passage.
A ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities are a common aspiration of the international community, Wang said, adding that actions by the UN Security Council should help ease tensions and bring the war to an end to resume talks, rather than endorsing illegal acts of war, let alone adding fuel to the fire.
As a permanent member of the Security Council and a responsible major country, China stands ready to work with Bahrain to push for the cessation of hostilities, restore peace, achieve lasting stability in the region, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South, especially small and medium-sized countries.
Chinese foreign minister voices readiness to work with Bahrain to push for ceasefire, restore peace
