A train for the Orange Line arrives at a subway station in Lahore, Pakistan, Oct. 26, 2020. Pakistan's first ever metro train service, the Orange Line, started its commercial operation Oct. 25 in the country's historical city of Lahore, the capital city of Punjab province, opening a new stage for the South Asian country in the public transportation sector. As an early harvest project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Orange Line was constructed by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. and China North Industries Corporation and was operated by Guangzhou Metro Group, Norinco International and Daewoo Pakistan Express Bus Service. The year 2020 has been a tough one for world economies amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, China has seen resilient cooperation with the Belt and Road (B&R) countries. As the coronavirus pandemic severely hits international transport, the China-Europe freight trains play a pivotal role in land transport among countries, as shown by the rising number of trains, opening of new routes, and the volume of goods. Major B&R projects, including the China-Laos railway, China-Thailand railway, Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, and Hungary-Serbia railway are making positive headway. China's aid to Belt and Road partner countries and the experience it shared with them during the COVID-19 pandemic are valuable and render the Health Silk Road more concrete. (Xinhua/Liu Tian)
