Zheng He's seven voyages are a legacy of ancient China's peaceful cooperation and friendly relations with countries worldwide, contributing to the flourishing of the ancient maritime Silk Road. This philosophy of peaceful development and mutual benefit endures, from the ancient maritime Silk Road to the present-day BRI.

Jiangsu sits at the intersection of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which together form the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade, Jiangsu has actively leveraged its geographical advantages and played a vital role in the BRI.

Mohamed Beiji, deputy editor-in-chief and senior journalist at China-Arab TV, said that Jiangsu has made significant contributions to the BRI, thanks to its well-developed rail and maritime transportation networks.

The media trip included stops at the Nanjing International Rail Freight Express, the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) logistics cooperation base and Taicang Port. The visits offered firsthand insights into Jiangsu's efforts to promote connectivity and trade among countries participating in the BRI.

According to data from Nanjing Customs, China-Europe freight trains from Jiangsu have reached nearly 80 cities in Europe and Asia. From January to September this year, Jiangsu's China-Europe freight line operated a total of 1,667 trips with total cargo value of 23.84 billion yuan ($3.26 billion). This represents a year-on-year increase of 13.4 percent in the number of trains and a 13.5 percent increase in cargo value.