Xi'an achieves fruitful results in cooperation with BRI countries

The 2024 Media Cooperation Forum on the Belt and Road was held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Aug 28. At the event, Xi'an's achievements in promoting cooperation in cultural tourism with countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) were selected as a 2024 Silk Road cultural development case.

As the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, Xi'an has integrated deeply into the grand scheme of the BRI, fostering people-to-people exchanges to facilitate the initiative's high-quality development.

The city has also hosted multiple high-profile cultural exchange events, becoming the joint chair city of the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments in 2019 and 2022.

In addition, Xi'an has strengthened connectivity by establishing sister city relationships with 25 cities in countries involved in the BRI and friendly exchange city relationships with 47 cities.

The China-Europe Xi'an freight train has made over 20,000 trips, while the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport has opened 110 international routes, making it the first airport in China to offer full coverage of Central Asian routes.

Meanwhile, Xi'an is actively implementing the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit. The Xi'an Kazakhstan Terminal has commenced operations, the China-Central Asia Mechanism Secretariat is operating in Xi'an, the Central Asia Park has opened, and various cooperation projects are progressing smoothly.

As one of China's oldest international tourist destinations, Xi'an views the development of cultural tourism as essential to integrating into the BRI. Countries like South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan have established consulates in Xi'an.

In addition, utilizing its scientific and educational resources, Xi'an is strengthening cooperation and development with countries and regions involved in the BRI through academic exchanges, research collaborations, and educational partnerships.

To date, 19 universities in Xi'an have enrolled over 7,600 students from countries involved in the BRI, with more than 5,100 graduates. Many of these graduates choose to continue working and studying in China, helping deepen exchanges and cooperation between China and those countries.