Recent data reveals that from January to February, Shaanxi Province's total import and export value reached 121.137 billion yuan, marking a significant year-on-year increase of 69%. This growth rate surpassed the national average by 55.4 percentage points, ranking first in the country. Exports surged by 85.2%, while imports grew by 31.9%, resulting in a trade surplus exceeding 63.8 billion yuan. This impressive performance was achieved by an inland province with no direct borders or coastline. The remarkable growth naturally leads to the question: what is driving such high expansion?
The answer can be found by examining the China-Europe Railway Express. At the Xi'an International Port Station, gantry cranes operate ceaselessly day and night, with container trucks shuttling back and forth. Train after train of the China-Europe Railway Express departs, traveling westward across the Eurasian landmass, closely linking the economic and trade networks of over 200 cities in 26 countries. Activity at the port has intensified since the beginning of the year.
On March 2nd, the number of trips made by the China-Europe Railway Express (Xi'an) surpassed 1,000 for the year, achieving this milestone 19 days earlier than in the previous year. The volume of trips has increased by over 30% year-on-year. The Trans-Caspian route has shown particularly strong performance, with trip volume in the first quarter growing by 150% year-on-year and transport efficiency improving by approximately 25%.
Smooth logistics channels are a prerequisite for trade growth. Taking the Trans-Caspian route as an example, the journey from Xi'an to Baku, Azerbaijan, which previously took an average of around 20 days, is now consistently completed in 15 days, with the fastest time being 11 days. The reduction of 5 to 9 days should not be underestimated; for an export enterprise, shorter transit times mean faster turnover and higher efficiency.
Ma Dong, General Manager of Xi'an Profit International Logistics Co., Ltd., expressed his perspective: "The significant improvement in transport timeliness allows for more timely order fulfillment. Our overseas clients' trust is increasing, making our product exports more competitive in the market. The company's capital turnover rate has improved noticeably, strengthening our confidence for future development."
Logistics serves as the pulse of the economy. The China-Europe Railway Express has propelled inland regions like Shaanxi to the forefront of opening up. In the previous year, the China-Europe Railway Express (Xi'an) contributed to 41.54 billion yuan in import and export value for Shaanxi, a growth of 11.7%.
The driving effect of the railway express has become even more apparent this year. From January to February, Shaanxi's processing trade import and export value reached 77.288 billion yuan, a substantial increase of 120% year-on-year, accounting for 63.8% of the province's total import and export value. Bonded logistics import and export reached 11.675 billion yuan, growing by 80.5% year-on-year. The rapid growth of these two trade methods is directly linked to the logistics convenience and improved customs clearance efficiency brought by the China-Europe Railway Express.
At the Xi'an International Port Station, an intelligent logistics supervision system enables full-process visibility. A "smart customs clearance" mobile application allows companies to handle procedures without leaving their offices. A dedicated team ensures 24/7 customs clearance support, reducing port clearance time from half a day in the past to under 30 minutes, and in some cases, just a few minutes.
Changes in the types of goods transported by the China-Europe Railway Express also serve as an indicator. Initially, shipments primarily consisted of general merchandise, small commodities, and mechanical equipment. Today, the loading area at Xi'an International Port Station sees containers filled with new energy vehicles, photovoltaic modules, and smart home appliances being systematically hoisted.
"The proportion of high-value-added goods carried by the China-Europe Railway Express (Xi'an) has been continuously increasing since the start of the year, and many companies have proactively added more scheduled shipments," said Liu Shunli, Duty Director of the Xi'an International Port Business Department of China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd.
Data confirms this trend: from January to February, Shaanxi's export of mechanical and electrical products reached 83.843 billion yuan, an increase of 94.5%, accounting for 90.7% of the province's total export value. Exports of high-tech products reached 67.774 billion yuan, growing by 140%. Exports of automatic data processing equipment reached 15.701 billion yuan, surging by 210%. The province's import and export with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 66.835 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 78.2%.
The upgrading of outbound goods reflects the optimization of China's industrial structure and its progress toward high-quality development.
Attracted by the logistical advantages of the China-Europe Railway Express, an increasing number of enterprises are choosing to establish operations along its route, accelerating the formation of an economic circle around the railway. After careful consideration, Shaanxi Konka Smart Home Appliance Co., Ltd. selected a location just one kilometer from the Xi'an assembly center of the China-Europe Railway Express. Since commencing production in 2022, nearly 250,000 units of white goods have been shipped to Central Asia, Europe, and other regions via the railway.
More notably, the China-Europe Railway Express facilitates not only the flow of goods but also industrial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. In the first quarter of this year, the Kazakhstan Xi'an Terminal handled over 6,000 containers, with cargo throughput increasing by 60% year-on-year. Jiang Haochen, Deputy General Manager of China-Kazakhstan (Xi'an) Commercial and Logistics Co., Ltd., stated that the China-Europe Railway Express is becoming a new engine for the rapid growth of China-Kazakhstan trade.
The China-Xi'an Kazakhstan Terminal and the Kazakhstan Xi'an Terminal, though thousands of kilometers apart, function in tandem, enabling direct "hub-to-hub" connection and delivering more benefits to the people of both nations. Trade volume between China and Kazakhstan facilitated by the China-Europe Railway Express reached 5.32 billion yuan in the previous year, an increase of 19.1%. The subsidiary of Kazakhstan's national railway company established in Xi'an has grown from an initial staff of 3 to 16 employees.
Riding the wave of the China-Europe Railway Express, Xi'an Aiju Group has evolved into a multinational enterprise engaged in the China-Kazakhstan grain and oil trade. Over the past decade, the company has transported over 600,000 tons of Kazakh flour, cooking oil, and other products to the domestic market, providing consumers with more choices.
Recently, children of several Kazakh employees of Aiju Group embarked on study trips to Xi'an, allowing China-Kazakhstan friendship to take root in the next generation.
Such stories of openness are not isolated. From Shaanxi to the entire nation, open vitality continues to emerge, new spaces for foreign trade are rapidly expanding, and regions are improving their connections to international circulation. Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in the first two months of the year, China's total goods trade import and export value reached 7.73 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.3%.
In the first quarter, the volume of trips and cargo handled by the China-Europe Railway Express in many regions across the country accelerated. Inland cities such as Chongqing, Zhengzhou, and Urumqi are leveraging the express service to deeply integrate into the global economic system.
Against the current backdrop of weak global economic momentum and severe challenges to multilateralism and free trade, the sustained prosperity of the China-Europe Railway Express is particularly valuable. Providing stable, efficient, and green logistics services, it acts as a "steel backbone" ensuring the stability of global industrial and supply chains, while also injecting strong "Chinese momentum" into world economic recovery.
Evolving from a single railway line to an extensive logistics network, transitioning from one-way transport to two-way exchange, and moving from the inland hinterland to the open frontier, the China-Europe Railway Express stands as a testament to China's steadfast and confident embrace of the world through openness. The long sound of the train whistle and the turning of the wheels continue as this steel dragon races across Eurasia, traversing deserts and grasslands, connecting cities and villages, building bridges for international trade and economic exchange, witnessing bonds between peoples, and demonstrating the open vitality of the Chinese economy.
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