China’s national railway network handled a record 3.32 billion passenger trips from January to August, up 3.9 percent year on year, according to state operator China State Railway Group on Saturday.
An average of 11,508 trains were operated daily, up 5.0 percent compared to a year earlier.
Meanwhile, cross-border rail traffic rose significantly during the period. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway recorded nearly 23.4 million passenger trips, up 10.7 percent year on year, while the China-Laos Railway handled 245,000 trips, up 39.1 year on year.
In the first eight months, China's railways handled over 16.68 million trips by foreign travelers, marking a 33.3 percent year-on-year increase.
China's railway passenger trips hit new high during Jan-Aug period
The Danish government confirmed in a statement on Friday that Greenland, Denmark, and the United States are expected to sign an agreement on strengthened security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area next week.
The three governments are expected to sign the agreement at the UN General Assembly. Following signature, the agreement will enter into force subject to the necessary national parliamentary procedures, according to the statement.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in the statement that the agreement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Denmark and the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said that the three parties are about to make an agreement that will ensure and strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States, and the Western alliance, adding the agreement recognizes Greenland's interests and its place in the international cooperation.
Earlier on the day, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the United States has reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland giving the United States "permanent control" over security and other needs in Greenland.
"At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland," Trump wrote.
No U.S. adversary will be able to have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without U.S. written approval, he said.
The U.S. president described the deal as an "Infinite Life" agreement with no expiration date and said it would come at no cost to the United States.
"We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many," he said. The full text of the agreement was not immediately released.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Trump's earlier statements about acquiring the territory met with strong opposition from Denmark, Greenland and several European countries.
Denmark confirms expected deal giving U.S. control over security in Greenland
