Historic gateway forges links around the globe

Chengdu, an inland city with international acclaim, opened its doors to the outside world 30 years ago, and is striving to re-mold itself as western China’s gateway to the outside world.

It established its first sistercity relationship on June 22, 1981, with Montpellier in France, which marked a beginning for the city, situated in the heartland of China, reaching out to shake hands with cities around the globe.

On Oct 16, 1985, the fi rst consulate in the city, the US consulate general, was opened in Chengdu. Today, Chengdu has the third-highest number of foreign consulates in China.

In December 1993, Procter & Gamble Co, PepsiCo Inc and TCL Communication Ltd, under its Alcatel brand, set up operations in Chengdu, as the first group of Fortune 500 companies to establish a presence in the city.

Over the past 30 years, “made in Chengdu” brand products, such as the fi rst Boeing 787 rudder and Toyota Coaster, have been exported around the world. Half of the world’s laptop chips and two thirds of Apple Inc’s iPads are made in Chengdu.

Over the past five years, Chengdu has introduced more than 10 new international conventions each year on average, including the 2013 Fortune Global Forum, the 12th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, and the 22nd World Route Development Forum.

Many distinguished foreign guests have visited the city in recent years, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former British prime minister David Cameron and US First Lady Michelle Obama.

On May 28, 2006, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launched a non-stop fl ight between Chengdu and Amsterdam, the fi rst non-stop fl ight linking Chengdu with Europe.

On April 26, 2013, Chengdu launched an express rail service to Lodz, Poland, in line with the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping. It is the fastest and most frequently used express rail service linking China and Europe.

On June 11, 2014, United Airlines Inc launched the Chengdu-San Francisco route, the fi rst non-stop route linking China’s central and western regions to the United States.