Oneoftheworld'smostancientandhistoricallyimportanttraderoutes,theSilkRoadconjuresupexoticimagesofcamelcaravans,windsweptdeserts,andsuchlegendaryfiguresasGenghisKhanandMarcoPolo.ExtendingasfarastheIndiankingdomsinthewest,topresent-dayXianinChinaintheeast,theSilkRoadwasalreadyacrossroadsofAsiabythethirdcenturyB.C.
SinceIwasverysmall,therewasasongaboutGuilin“IwanttoGuilin,butwhenIhavemoney,Idon’thavetime…’’,thisisthefirstimpressionIhaveonGuilin,itissoattracting.Asthesong’sgreatpower,Isaidtomyself,whenIgrewup,ImustgotoGuilin.WhenIwasinhighschool,Ihadthechancetovisitthere,inthesummerholiday,mymotheraskedmetogotherewithhertovisitanoldfriend.Iwassoexcited,mylongdreamwouldcometrue.Ipackedmystuff,wenttothebus.Inthemorning,wearrivedatGuilin,thiswasthefirsttimeIgotsoclosetoit,Itookadeepbreath,watchingallthethingsinthestreet.Duringthesummerholiday,Ivisitedallthescenethere,theyweresobeautiful,nowonderpeoplesaid“Guilin’ssceneryranksfirst”。
ChinesePresidentXiJinpingarrivedinBrusselsSundayforastatevisittoBelgium,thefirstevermadebyaChineseheadofstatetothecountryin27years.
BelgiumisthelastlegofXiJinping'sfour-nationEuropeantrip.BeforeBelgium,hevisitedtheNetherlands,FranceandGermany,andattendedthethirdNuclearSecuritySummitinTheHague.
ChinesePresidentXiJinpinghascalledonChinaandGermanytoworktogethertobuildtheSilkRoadeconomicbelt.
XiJinpingmadetheremarksduringavisittoPortofDuisburg,theworld'sbiggestinlandharborandatransportandlogisticshubofEurope.
HesaidChina'sproposalofbuildingtheSilkRoadeconomicbelt,basedontheideaofcommondevelopmentandprosperity,aimstobetterconnecttheAsianandEuropeanmarkets,willenrichtheideaoftheSilkRoadwithanewmeaning,andbenefitallthepeoplealongthebelt.
TheChineseleaderexpressedthehopethatPortofDuisburgwillplayabiggerroleintheChina-GermanyandChina-Europecooperation.