Chongqing- Pakistan has been recently plagued with catastrophic floods, causing heavy casualties and property losses, while several Chinese provinces and cities, including southwest China's Chongqing, donated disaster relief materials to them.

Carried cotton tents, sleeping bags, emergency lighting equipment, and other supplies, a New International Land-sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) cross-border sea-rail train was recently dispatched to Pakistan for disaster relief.

Valued at over 1 million yuan (about 0.14 million U.S. dollars), the Chongqing Municipal People's Government donates disaster relief supplies. With joint efforts of all parties, the train is expected to arrive at Karachi Port, Pakistan, in mid-October, after arriving at Qinzhou Port, Guangxi Province. 

Reports indicate that severe floods in Pakistan's Balochistan and Sindh provinces happened due to the intense monsoon rainfall since mid-June this year. By August, more than 33 million people had been affected by various disasters in the country.

"Standing shoulder to shoulder with ironclad friends," said a New Land-sea Corridor Operation Co., Ltd representative. "We took the initiative to undertake the material transportation, and we hope these aid materials can be delivered to Pakistan as soon as possible."

He continued, "we would love to spread care and love of Chongqing to the disaster-stricken people in Pakistan and help them overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homes."

The New Land-sea Corridor Operation Co., Ltd. is responsible for transportation matters, with the joint efforts of China Railway Chongqing Central Station and other units, to ensure efficient transportation and safe arrival of goods.

As China's main bridge to the Islamic world, Pakistan has a long and strong relationship with China. The two countries have enjoyed close and friendly relations since establishing diplomatic ties in May 1951. 

In 2013, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEP) started construction. In 2015, China and Pakistan shared political mutual trust and cooperation, while the CPEP construction has entered the fast lane, forming a 1+4 cooperation layout centered on corridor construction and focusing on Gwadar Port, energy, infrastructure construction, and industrial cooperation. More than 20 projects have been completed, and another 63 projects are expected to be completed by 2030.

After the epidemic outbreak, the CPEP project did not withdraw Chinese personnel nor lay off Pakistani employees. China has actively provided Pakistan with anti-epidemic materials, medical supplies, expert assistance, COVID-19 vaccine, and other anti-epidemic support to boost Pakistan's economic recovery.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics of Pakistan shows that Pakistan's actual gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate has increased from 4.05% to 6.10% every fiscal year from 2013 to 2018 since the launch of CPEP. 

(Zhu Qinzhuo, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)