(Photo provided to Xinhua Daily)

A media delegation from member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization visited Lianyungang City in Jiangsu Province from May 24 to 27.

The delegation consisted of 20 journalists from countries including India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

They visited notable locations in the city, including the SCO (Lianyungang) International Logistics Park, the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industry Base, and the China- Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base.

They also visited Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd and Kanion Group Co ltd to gain insights into the city's pharmaceutical industry. In addition to a stop at the Huaguoshan Scenic Area, they visited the crystal trading center in the city's Donghai County, acquiring firsthand knowledge of cross-border e-commerce through live-streaming.

Lianyungang has gradually emerged as a pivotal hub for the Belt and Road Initiative since it was proposed in 2013. The logistics base commenced operation in 2014 as the first physical platform established under the initiative. Lianyungang has taken advantage of its unique geographical location, linking eastern sea routes with western land routes to facilitate interconnections across Asia and Europe, playing a significant role in advancing quality growth and high-level opening-up.