“El País”, a Leading Spanish Media Outlet, Visiting Chongqing for an Exclusive Interview

From July 12 to 13， Guillermo Abril， the president of the China branch of the Spanish mainstream media “El País”， along with two colleagues， arrived in Chongqing for a series of interviews.

Guillermo Abril and his teams visit to Chongqing is part of their ongoing coverage of Chinas involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative， a series of reports they have been planning since 2021. Situated at the junction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt， Chongqing stands as the sole municipality directly under the central government in the central and western region of China. It is where the New Western Land-Sea Corridor， China-Europe Railway Express， the Golden Waterway of the Yangtze River， and the Chongqing-Manchuria-Russia International Railway converge. Chongqing， with its strategic location， has shouldered significant responsibilities and plays a pivotal role in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Understanding the importance and impact of Chongqings participation in this initiative， Guillermo Abril and his team made a special trip to conduct interviews and document the achievements of Chongqing in its involvement with the Belt and Road Initiative.

Zhang Yaqian， Deputy Director-General of the Chongqing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office， engaged in productive discussions with Guillermo Abril and his team. During the meeting， Zhang Yaqian provided an overview of the citys latest economic and social development， showcasing the historical connections between Chongqing and Spain. The exchange aimed to foster mutual understanding， strengthen friendship， and explore potential avenues for future collaboration. During his first visit to Chongqing， Guillermo Abril expressed his initial impressions of the city， highlighting its modern architecture， mesmerizing three-dimensional transportation， and vibrant night scenery. He particularly praised the intelligent transportation system， exemplified by his experience with a driverless taxi in Yongchuan. Abril also emphasized the openness， tolerance， warmth， and friendliness of the people of Chongqing， which left a profound impact on him. He expressed his determination to increase coverage of Chongqing in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries.

In the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park， Guillermo Abril and his team filmed cargo transfer and visited the display center of the Inland International Logistics Hub. At the Xiyong Micro-Electronics Industry Park， they conducted on-site filming of Hongyi Jiuzhou International Culture Art Developing Co.， Ltd.， and also interviewed the head of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics （China） Co.， Ltd. Through these close-up interviews， Guillermo Abril and his team experienced Chongqings active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and witnessed the development and changes it has brought to Chongqing.

Han Chao， the Deputy General Manager of Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park， provided insights during the interview about the parks role as a “Rail Free Trade Zone”. He highlighted its contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative， including exploring trade rules along the route， accelerating the development of hub and port functions， and promoting the integration of various functional elements， port elements， and institutional innovations. The park aims to become a more internationally integrated， regionally influential， and leading comprehensive international hub. It serves as industrial support for Chongqings active participation in the co-construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.

At Hongyi Jiuzhou International Culture Art Developing Co. Ltd.， Guillermo Abril and his team visited the Intangible Cultural Heritage Promotion Center， China Good Gifts Chongqing Development Center， and the Artwork Customs Declaration Exhibition Hall. During the interview， Zhang Hang， the Chairman of the company， revealed that Hongyi Jiuzhou International Culture Art selected Chongqing for its development based on the citys distinctive geographical advantage as the sole directly governed municipality in the central and western region of China. Zhang highlighted Chongqings vital role in facilitating international cultural and artistic exchanges and operations. He emphasized that Chongqings strategic location， with its interconnected logistics channels linking the southeast， northeast， southwest， and northwest regions， along with its integrated transportation system encompassing air， rail， and land， including the seamless intermodal function for sea transport known as “One Lading Bill”， were crucial factors contributing to the decision.

Wu Bo， the Manager of the Railway Department at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics （China） Co.， Ltd.， also accepted Guillermo Abrils interview. Wu Bo informed Guillermo Abril that as an internationally renowned freight forwarding logistics enterprise with a history of 150 years and a top-ten global ranking， Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has maintained close cooperation with Chongqing in the import and export business of China-Europe Railway Express， especially in the whole vehicle logistics business since 2019. From 2021 to 2022， Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has imported over 27，000 vehicles through the Chongqing Railway Port. After being transported by the China-Europe Railway Express to the Chongqing Railway Port， the vehicles were further distributed to the Xiyong Comprehensive Bonded Zone via road transportation. This has changed the circulating fund pressure on enterprises caused by the traditional “on-land taxation” on imported vehicles.

Established in 1976， “El País” is one of the most influential media outlets in the Spanish-speaking world， with more than 400 journalists and newsrooms in Madrid， Barcelona， Mexico， Washington， and Bogota. The media has more than 75 million monthly independent readers， over 350 million page views worldwide， and more than 250，000 digital subscribers.

Source/Official WeChat Account of Chongqing Foreign Affairs