China has continued to advance railway construction since the beginning of the year, data from the country's railway operator showed Wednesday.
During the January-October period, fixed-asset investment in the country's railway sector reached 635.1 billion yuan (about 88.2 billion U.S. dollars), marking a 10.9-percent increase from the same period of last year, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.
So far, the total operation mileage of China's railway network has exceeded 160,000 km, including 46,000 km of high-speed railways.
The latest progress in railway construction included the operation of a new high-speed railway connecting Xuancheng and Jixi in east China's Anhui Province. Multiple projects under construction across the country have also made steady headway.
"We will give full play to the effective role of railway investment in driving investment in the whole society, strengthen communication and effective collaboration with local Party committees and governments, take proactive steps as appropriate, and scientifically plan railway routes and station locations to help boost local economic growth and development," said Chen Chao, an official from the investment branch of the China State Railway Group.
At present, more than 3,300 railway passenger stations are operational across the country, including over 1,300 high-speed railway stations. Together, they facilitate the transport of nearly three billion passengers each year.
China's railway investment up 10.9 pct in first 10 months
The second Global South Think Tanks Dialogue kicked off on Thursday in east China's Nanjing, bringing together more than 400 representatives of think tanks across over 100 countries.
Co-hosted by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, and the China Council for BRICS Think-tank Cooperation, the event is designed to foster discussions on key themes of equality, openness and cooperation among Global South.
Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized that the dialogue aims to implement President Xi Jinping's important proposal at the BRICS Plus leaders' dialogue last month, which has led to the official launch of the Global South Think Tanks Alliance on Thursday.
China is ready to work with Global South countries to uphold the spirit of independence, solidarity, justice, openness, and inclusiveness, and to jointly build a Global South community of shared future, Liu said.
The newly established Think Tanks Alliance, Liu added, will leverage its unique strengths to provide intellectual support and foster greater collaboration among Global South countries.
Foreign attendees believe the Think Tanks Alliance will serve as an important platform for strengthening communication, dialogue, and cooperation within the Global South. They also expressed their commitment to joining hands with China to implement the three major global initiatives proposed by President Xi—the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative—while advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Global South think tanks gather in China for dialogue
