In recent years, Hunan has seized the opportunities of “the Belt and Road” and made faster paces in opening and uprising by accessing to the international market positively.

In July this year, a China-Europe train departed from Hamburg and reached Changsha Xianing Station 15 days later. A returning train of XiangOu Express officially started normalized operation. In the first half of this year, XiangOu Express opened three lines including Changsha – Minsk, Changsha- Hungary and Hamburg – Changsha, totaled up to 6 lines. A total of 5432 TEUs were delivered in the first half of this year, with a year-on-year growth rate of 48.7%, being No. 4 now among all China-Europe trains in China.

According to Tian Yang, declarer of XiangOu Express, from January to September this year, more than 10,000 TEUs have been delivered, with a year-on-year growth almost doubled.

In the first half of the year, a total of USD3.32billion of foreign funds was actually used in the industry parks of above provincial level all over Hunan Province, with a year-on-year growth rate of 33.4%. A total of RMB92.24 billion yuan of paid-in investment was achieved, with a year-on-year growth rate of 26.9%. Imports and exports in seven Special Customs Supervision Areas in the whole Province had a growth rate of 203.9% year on year. In the Changsha Jinxia Bonded Direct Sale Center, 500 manufacturers from the countries along “the Belt and Road” had cooperation directly by introducing more than 30,000 varieties of goods.

Ming Zixiang, a citizen in Changsha said, “I am very proud of being a Hunan native because we can buy at home many products imported from overseas. I believe with the opening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Hunan will be opening more and more widely.”

In the first half of the year, 1387 Hunan companies had investment overseas in 88 countries and regions worldwide and more than1000 foreign companies achieved a break-through from zero on foreign trade business. Hunan Xuanye Ecological Agriculture Development Co., Ltd. grew 2,000 hectare of rice, helping to achieve an employment of 7,000 local people. Chinese standards became export standards for Laotian rice for the first time.

Xu Guowu, Hunan Xuanye Ecological Agriculture Development Co., Ltd., said, “along the China-Laos Raiway, we will build up two industry parks, through which we will spend 5 years improving the infrastructure unavailable right now in Laos.”