An open circle of friends in a big inland province
Xinhua News Agency, Zhengzhou, December 29th Title: An open circle of friends in a big inland province
Xinhua News Agency reporters Wang Ding, Li Junde and Liu Huai Pi
"At the request of everyone, I will put a group of pictures of fresh flowers in the Netherlands, which I took myself!"
Guo Limin, 39, is the head of a "freight forwarding" company in Zhengzhou. Whenever there is a rare foreign freight, he loves to take photos in the WeChat circle of friends. His subjects are rich and varied, and a little look at his circle of friends, in addition to Dutch flowers, there are Chilean cherries, Norwegian salmon, Malaysian bird’s nest, Canadian blueberries and Australian dairy goats …
Guo Limin is a witness to the convergence of global good things in the Central Plains. Seizing the opportunity of the national "Belt and Road" construction, even Henan, which is located in the hinterland of China, has gradually developed into a logistics hub channel connecting domestic and foreign countries and radiating east, west and east in recent years, and has trade with more than 200 countries and regions around the world. Henan is a microcosm, which shows China’s firm determination to promote trade liberalization and its broad-minded initiative to open to the world.
Employees at the Zhengzhou offline store of CW pharmacy in Australia are sorting out the price tag of goods (photo taken on November 6). Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jianan photo
The world in the shopping cart and China on the waybill.
In Zhengzhou Zhongdamen International Shopping Park, at 3 o’clock every afternoon, the offline store of CW pharmacy in Australia ushered in the sales peak. After brushing the CW pharmacy in Tik Tok, 24-year-old Hua Xiaohan made a special trip to sweep the goods, and the shopping basket was full of cosmetics.
CW Pharmacy is the largest chain pharmacy in Australia, mainly engaged in skin care products, health products, milk powder and so on. In the offline store in Zhengzhou, the shelves are filled with more than 2,000 kinds of goods from more than 30 countries and regions, which is exactly the same as the quality of Australian stores.
"After opening for two months, the passenger flow exceeded expectations, and many goods were often snapped up as soon as they were put on the shelves." Ma Yitao, the domestic offline operator of CW Pharmacy in Australia, said that the dazzling array of foreign goods meets the different preferences of consumers, and the daily traffic and transaction volume are unmatched by foreign stores of the same size.
Thanks to China’s continuous opening to the outside world, high-quality goods from all over the world have flowed in, and people in the mainland such as Henan can also buy imported goods when walking in the streets and lanes. Eating fresh Chilean cherries, drinking Belarusian milk, tasting German beer, enjoying Dutch tulips and using Australian health products have become the daily consumption of many Zhengzhou citizens.
At present, it is the hot season of Chilean cherries, and the Henan market shows strong consumption power. "I have to enter the goods twice a day, and the value of each goods reaches more than 100,000 yuan." Li Guowei is a cherry buyer of Zhengzhou Century Lianhua. He supplies four stores.
"Chilean cherries have sunk from first-tier cities to second-and third-tier cities and even small counties. The market capacity of China is still growing, and the price mainly depends on market demand." Huang Xianhua, general manager of Shanghai Ouheng Import & Export Co., Ltd., undertook Chilean cherry charter business. About 40 charter flights landed at Zhengzhou Airport this year, each carrying about 80 tons of cargo.
Chinese’s shopping cart is full of goods from all over the world, and waybills from all over the world are often filled with products sent to China.
In Chile, the Nativa Cherry Plantation, 50 kilometers away from the capital Santiago, covers an area of 30 hectares, with an annual output of 150 to 200 tons of cherries, 95% of which are exported to China.
"I caught up with the prosperity of the cherry business at the beginning of my career, mainly driven by the China market. The China market has been expanding and the quality requirements are getting higher and higher. We are constantly adjusting the varieties." Pablo Molares, head of export at Nativa Cherry Plantation, said.
In the Netherlands, Silvonda, an old Dutch flower distributor with a history of 100 years, now exports Dutch flowers to several cities in China, such as Zhengzhou. At present, the company airlifts two batches of flowers to Zhengzhou every week, each weighing 0.5 to 1 ton.
"China has a large population and a very large consumption of flowers, so it is very optimistic about the potential of the China market." Gert-Jan Scheneveld, president of Silvonda Company, said that he always hoped to export flowers to China through more ports, and expected that the export volume would increase in the next few years, even at a double-digit rate.
Foday Ben, the person in charge of China of Australian CW Pharmacy, said that the offline store landed in Zhengzhou, which was loved and sought after by Zhengzhou people. The company has also achieved extraordinary sales performance on the e-commerce platform in China for several years, and the consumer market in China has great potential and bright prospects.
Bakers make cherry cakes in a cake shop in Zhengzhou (photo taken on December 6). Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jianan photo
The global village becomes smaller and the circle of friends expands.
It’s chilly in winter, and the flowers in Shuangqiao Flower Market in Zhengzhou are colorful and warm as spring.
Zang Jingjing, the shop assistant of Pony’s imported flower shop, unpacked the Dutch tulips flown in by air with her colleagues, and put them in bundles in a water basket already prepared to raise them. When I was a child, it was not sold in Henan market. This Zhengzhou girl had never seen a real Dutch tulip. Now, she placed an order on the Internet the first day and received the goods the next day.
The Netherlands and Henan are tens of thousands of kilometers apart. It is not easy to transport delicate flowers at such a long distance.
"Within 24 hours, the fresh cut tulips harvested from the Netherlands can be delivered to Zang Jingjing, which is inseparable from the opening of the Henan Aerial Silk Road." Song Xiaochen, general manager of tulip importer Beijing Dongfang Huida International Trade Co., Ltd. said that since 2017, Dutch flowers have been imported in Zhengzhou, and the annual freight volume has increased by more than 20%.
Actively integrated into the "Belt and Road", Henan took advantage of its regional transportation and created "four Silk Roads" in the air, on land, online and at sea, which changed the concept of time and space for inland areas to communicate with the world. Growing on the other side of the globe, Chilean cherries can be delivered to Zhengzhou people’s table from South America after more than 30 hours of transportation.
"Zhengzhou Airport’s aviation network covers major economies in the world, and the flight density can meet the timeliness demand of fresh goods." Li Weidong, secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of Henan Airport Group, said that Zhengzhou Airport also implements convenient customs clearance for 7×24 hours, and the customs can inspect and release the goods at any time as soon as they arrive.
The "iron camel team" on land is also very busy, and the Central European train (Zhengzhou) currently maintains the running density of 14 trips per week and 10 trips per week. "From Hamburg to Zhengzhou, it takes only 12 days, and it can provide services such as door-to-door, single system and whole cold chain, which is fast and convenient." Zhao Wenming, general manager of Zhengzhou land port Development and Construction Co., Ltd. said that Banlie’s overseas cargo collection network has covered 130 cities in more than 30 countries in Asia and Europe.
In Zhengzhou Economic Development Zone, the experience mall under the China-Europe train (Zhengzhou) line, Belarusian beef, German milk powder, Polish yogurt, Spanish coffee, French cosmetics … all kinds of imported goods are dazzling, and many citizens drive to buy them.
"High-frequency China-Europe trains and complete land port have not only brought rich imported goods to the mainland people, but also sold tires, curtains and other products produced in Henan abroad, making China more and more closely linked with other countries in Asia and Europe." Yang Hua, stationmaster of Putian Station of Zhengzhou Railway Depot of China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd. said.
The shrinking of the global village is also related to innovation. "Haitao" used to take about two weeks to receive the goods. Henan pioneered the 1210 model of cross-border e-commerce bonded stocking, which shortened the receiving time to two or three days. The first offline store in China, an Australian CW pharmacy, landed in Zhengzhou, which is based on the offline self-withdrawal mode innovated by 1210.
"Less than three minutes after the customer places an order, the customs can complete the customs clearance and take the goods away, which is very convenient." Foday Ben said that many institutional and technological innovations in China’s opening-up have made it easier for multinational enterprises to land in China. I believe more and more enterprises will come to China to develop.
This summer, more than 50 tons of lotus gourmet powder produced in Henan set sail from Zhoukou Central Port Terminal and was transferred to Nigeria in Africa via Shanghai Port. At present, Henan is implementing a 100 billion-yuan waterway rehabilitation project, and plans to invest 179 billion yuan to increase the port handling capacity by 140 million tons, and has resumed navigation at Zhoukou Port, Luohe Port and other ports.
"Reviving inland river shipping and realizing reaching the sea through the river will provide solid support for the province to build a new highland for inland opening and promote Henan’s seamless connection with the Maritime Silk Road." Tang Yanmin, deputy director of the Henan Provincial Department of Transportation, said.
Zhengzhou Customs data show that in the first three quarters of this year, the total import and export value of Henan’s foreign trade was 366.72 billion yuan, ranking first in the central region, and the import and export value of countries along the "Belt and Road" increased by 7.7%.
Zang Jingjing (left), clerk of Pony Import Flower Shop, arranges tulips imported from the Netherlands at Shuangqiao Flower Market in Zhengzhou (photo taken on November 7). Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jianan photo
People-to-people exchanges have increased, and inland areas have revealed international norms.
The bronzes and pottery unearthed from Erlitou site, the "Fu Hao" square coffin unearthed from Yin Ruins in Anyang, the gold carved jade clothes and chariots and horses unearthed from Mangdang Mountain in Yongcheng … In April this year, the "Henan Cultural Relics and Treasures Exhibition", which lasted for half a year, ended at the National Museum of History and Art in Luxembourg. 145 pieces (groups) of exquisite bronzes, ceramics, jade and other cultural relics show the development style of Chinese civilization and win the admiration of European visitors.
"This batch of cultural relics flew to Europe on a professional cargo plane of Lu Cargo Airlines and became a’ treasure passenger’ with unique historical charm on Zheng Lu’s’ Aerial Silk Road’." Zhang Mingchao, Party Secretary and Chairman of Henan Civil Aviation Development and Investment Co., Ltd., said that the mutual trust and friendly relations between Henan and Luxemburg have been consolidated with the "Silk Road in the Air" as the link.
Since Henan Civil Aviation Development Investment Co., Ltd. acquired 35% equity of cargolux airlines international Company in 2014, economic and trade exchanges have promoted cultural exchanges, and exchanges and cooperation between Henan and Luxemburg have become closer.
Vig Catelet, vice president of cargolux airlines international Company, frequently travels to Zhengzhou and has become an "old friend" of many Zhengzhou people. "I have been to China many times, sometimes two or three times a month." Vig Catelet Poe said that the construction of the "Silk Road in the Air" has benefited both Luxemburg and Luxemburg Airlines, and the "Belt and Road Initiative" has helped to strengthen cultural and commercial ties and promote exchanges between countries.
Henan continues to open wider to the outside world, especially speeding up the construction of the Silk Road, which has built a bridge between the whole province and the outside world and promoted the integration of the Central Plains into the global cultural exchange pattern.
CEIBS (Zhengzhou) once sent "European Opera" to China. Two years ago, the French Embassy in China entrusted CEIBS (Zhengzhou) to transport the scenery and props of the key drama project "Miser" and "2666" of the 12th China-France Culture and Art Festival. These sets and props were packed in five containers, and the plays were performed in Shanghai, Beijing and other places.
"The French side sent a special letter of thanks, and the China-Europe train has contributed to the cultural exchanges between China and France." Zhao Wenming said.
In today’s Henan, the door to openness is getting bigger and bigger, and "friends circle" is spread all over the world. More and more foreigners come to Henan for business and tourism, so the cities in Henan have become more and more international, and the people in Henan have become more and more "foreign".
Jason is the nickname of foreign tourists for Xu Shijie, a tricycle driver in Kaifeng. In the well-known travel guide China on Lonely Planet, Jason was written into the key recommendation of Kaifeng. Xu Shijie is 52 years old. He looks rough and simple, but his mouth is pure and fluent in English.
After 18 years in Kaifeng, Xu Shijie is not only familiar with the traffic routes in Kaifeng, but also knows the local history and urban service facilities. In Kaifeng, foreign tourists need to know the customs of the ancient capital, find hotels, book tickets, buy medicines, etc., and they all love to find him. Over the years, Xu Shijie has saved six thick diaries and recorded more than 700 foreign tourists.
"Without your wonderful explanation, travel would not be so beautiful. You are not only the pride of China, but also the pride of the world. " An Australian couple left a message saying. (Participating in reporters Yin Nan and Lin Liping)
Zhoukou Central Port Wharf (photo of drone) taken on July 31. Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jianan photo
Workers carry containers at the dock of Zhoukou Central Port (photo taken on July 31). Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jianan photo
The staff of Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport unloaded the cargo plane of cargolux airlines international Company (photo taken on November 7). Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jianan photo
Xu Shijie (left), a tricycle driver, explains the history of Kaifengfu to British tourists in English before the scenic spot of Kaifengfu (photo taken on April 26, 2018). Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jianan photo
