A rising international hub
In hopes of becoming a major international metropolis, Chengdu has recently expanded its international connections.
The city sent a delegation to Japan and South Korea in October to promote bilateral exchanges with its sister cities. The delegation visited Busan and Gimcheon in South Korea, and Kofu in Japan.
In the same month, the city held a panda-themed city promotion in Frankfurt and Warsaw.
A bus painted with images of pandas traveled through the streets of the two cities, displaying a promotional video with virtual reality technology.
A freight express rail starting from Chengdu connects the city to Lodz, Poland, and Nuremberg, Germany. Lodz and Warsaw as well as Nuremberg and Frankfurt are neighbors.
The Chengdu Europe Express Rail, which links Chengdu to Lodz and Kutno in Poland, Nuremberg in Germany and Tilburg in the Netherlands, is the fastest and most frequently used express rail service linking China and Europe.
A one-way trip takes less than 11 days.
According to the latest planning of the Chengdu-Europe Plus strategy, Chengdu will operate three major cargo rail routes to Europe, heading to Lodz, Moscow and Istanbul, Turkey.
Chengdu is the fourth largest aviation hub in China, with 100 international routes connecting it to more than 70 international cities including San Francisco, Paris, Frankfurt, Melbourne and Doha.
It is also a magnet to foreign investment. It has attracted 10 more Fortune Global 500 companies this year, making the number of Fortune Global 500 companies with a presence in the city to reach 278.
By the end of last year, Chengdu had direct economic and trade relations with 223 major cities worldwide, including 20 that have opened trade and tourism offices in the city. Currently, the city has 32 international sister cities. A total of 16 countries have been approved to open a consulate in Chengdu, the largest number in western China.
(China Daily 11/03/2016 page7)
