Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporters Liu Donglai, Rayda) news: "Well, that was really hard at the time!" Guo Xinnian speaks with a strong Henan accent.

　　"At Alataw pass in Xinjiang, you can see China-Europe freight trains sent from here." On August 14, 2023, Guo Xinnian, deputy general manager of Zhengzhou International Land Port Development and Construction Co., Ltd., said with a smile, "Last month, we sent 325 China-Europe freight trains. But in 2013, there were only 13 freight trains the whole year."

　　As Guo Xinnian spoke, the hall on the other side of the wall was full of dazzling goods from Europe.

　　In the past 10 years, more than 8,000 China-Europe freight trains have operated and tens of thousands of kinds of cargo have been transported through Zhengxinou (Zhengzhou-Xinjiang-Europe) route.

　　The International Land Port Development and Construction Co., Ltd. was established almost at the same time as the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward. The China-Europe freight train has developed from the initial 1 train per month to the current high-frequency normalization of more than 10 trains per day. The integrated business strategy of transportation and trade and the "door-to-door" service model have enabled the company to thrive in business and survive in keen competition.

　　In 2013, the International Land Port Development and Construction Co., Ltd., which bears the mission of running the China-Europe freight train in Zhengzhou, was established. "At that time, everyone was inexperienced. If we want to send a train to Europe, we must have the goods. Where can we get the goods? Not only in China, but also in countries and regions along the Silk Road, people are not familiar with China-Europe freight trains." Guo Xinnian said, "We have targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises, and this aim has not changed still. Therefore, the service provided by the International Land Port Development and Construction Co., Ltd. is various, and over the past 10 years, it has become a platform for a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises to develop and grow thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative ."

　　But it wasn't easy to develop businesses back then. The team distributed leaflets in areas where freight forwarders were concentrated, and went to enterprises one by one to make recommendations. "We were often kicked out by the security guards of the enterprises." " Then what did you do?" " Just try again. If it did not work, then we would change to another company, and slowly they saw our sincerity, and our business was gradually broadened. It was the most difficult to make progress from the ground up."

　　In the past 10 years, it is not only the company that has made progress, but also the government, enterprises, individuals and all other organizations and people related to the construction of the Belt and Road. "At the beginning, no one knew how to operate this thing, especially the coordination between each other, sometimes it took 20 days to get a result from customs declaration, which is a very long time." Guo Xinnian said, "Later, the coordination became better, so did the business quality. I think what's most valuable about Zhengzhou is that the government and the enterprises are of one mind, both trying to figure out how to improve the efficiency of import and export, and can work well with each other."

　　For the land-harbor companies, the advantages of railroad are obvious. Air transportation is too expensive, sea transportation is slow, and for relatively large amounts of goods and certain time requirements of customers, the China-Europe freight trains have become the best choice. Guo Xinnian gave an example, there is a customer who does curtain business, it takes 20 days ahead for the goods to exit to Europe through Alataw Pass in Xinjiang than through the sea route. "What does 20 days in advance mean? It means seizing the most critical window period for new products to develop the market." Guo Xinnian said, "We provide 'door-to-door' service for such customers, saving them a lot of time and costs."

　　Over the past 10 years, the China-Europe freight trains loaded with dreams of small and medium-sized enterprises have departed from the station and traveled to faraway places. The Belt and Road Initiative has become increasingly popular and been accepted by countries and regions along the route, providing a favorable external environment for the company. Driven by the Belt and Road Initiative, the company has continuously improved its service quality and broadened its overseas market. Today, its business has covered more than 40 countries and 140 cities, with more than 6,000 domestic and foreign partners, and its comprehensive operation capability remains at the forefront of the country.

　　"We, and the thousands of companies we serve, have grown together with the Belt and Road, and we've all been together for 10 years and are now heading to the next 10 years together," Guo Xinnian said.

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