A bird's-eye view of Wuxi. [Photo/WeChat account: news-wuxixinwen]
Wuxi in Jiangsu province has been continuously developing new initiatives for the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with a pragmatic and innovative spirit.
Wuxi convened a city-wide meeting on June 24 to advance BRI construction, emphasizing the importance of proactively engaging with and integrating into the BRI framework. The city aims to accelerate its development into a pivotal hub for global connectivity and two-way openness.
In 2025, Wuxi's total foreign trade value exceeded the 800 billion yuan ($117.50 billion) threshold for the first time, reaching 829.28 billion yuan. Trade with countries involved in the BRI amounted to 4.3766 billion yuan, marking a 9.3 percent year-on-year increase and comprising 52.8 percent of the total. From January to May this year, the growth rate further surged to 18.6 percent.
Last year, Wuxi launched the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan international freight train, significantly reducing transportation time between these three countries by 40 percent and slashing logistics costs by 33 percent.
In the realm of air cargo, Wuxi has inaugurated nine direct routes to BRI countries and regions, including Cambodia, South Korea, and Singapore. The city has also collaborated with major domestic aviation hubs such as the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen to explore new air-to-air transfer methods, further enhancing routes to Central and South Asia.
The bond between nations is also strengthened by the closeness of their people. In March last year, the Wuxi Taihu Yuantouzhu Cherry Blossom Festival was launched internationally for the first time, with the opening ceremony held in Budapest, Hungary.
Meanwhile, by taking advantage of its application for the title of "UNESCO City of Music", Wuxi has established stable connections with 11 other Cities of Music in nine BRI countries and regions. Over the past year, it has successfully hosted several international music events, welcoming artists from various countries for the first time.
From the shores of Taihu Lake to the BRI countries, Wuxi is clearly leaving its mark on the grand canvas of the BRI through more precise economic and trade cooperation, efficient logistics channels, and richer cultural exchanges.
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