The Chinese government attaches great importance to the new Eurasian continental bridge, as well as its cooperation with countries along the bridge.

Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai made the remark in his congratulatory letter to an international seminar on economic cooperation along the new Eurasian continental bridge, which was held on Tuesday in Xuzhou, a city in eastern China's Jiangsu Province.

The new Eurasian continental bridge, linking China's coastal area and European countries, is not only a convenient channel connecting the two continents, but also symbolizes the continent's friendship, he said.

Enhancing cooperation and exchanges along the bridge is of great importance to the world's economic prosperity and development as well as human peace and friendship, he said.

The 10,900-km new Eurasian continental bridge, the cheapest and fastest Asia-Europe land rail route, starts from China's coastal city of Lianyungang to the east, and goes westward to its terminal at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands to the west.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2005)