The Belt and Road Initiative is all about building trade links, and as part of the strategy, freight trains between China and Europe have been transporting goods between each other and beyond. Tao Yuan has the story.

Symbols of the Ancient Silk Road. For centuries, these camel caravans braved dusty desert winds to link trade between China and the West. Now, China is building the New Silk Road. Chengdu's container port, one stop in a massive rail network that links China with Europe. A dozen freight trains depart from here to the Polish city of Lodz every week. When Chen Chang started here 10 years ago, his career plan didn't involve becoming part of a national strategy.

CHEN CHANG CHINA UNITED INT'L RAIL CONTAINERS CHENGDU "This used to be just a job for me. Now I feel I'm part of something big. We feel a lot of pressure, but also immense pride."

It's China's grand plan to reshape global trade. As Donald Trump goes strong with his "America First" policy, China is offering to engage the world. Building land and sea routes that circle the globe. China calls it the Belt and Road Initiative.

TAO YUAN CHENGDU "Just a decade ago, none of these direct freight trains between China and Europe existed. Now they connect 35 Chinese cities to their counterparts in Europe. It'll be time before anyone can say if the Belt and Road vision can live up to the glory of the ancient Silk Road. But no one denies, the ambition is enormous."

Chinese products are already making their way all around the world. But being the world's factory is no longer enough to keep the country's economy robust. "We're big, but not strong," says the Commerce Minister. Now China wants to shoot up in global technology rankings. Smartphones and computers loaded onto these trains. But when a moment of pride is over, China's high-tech firms face headwind going West. This is one of the biggest chipmakers in southwest China - huge success at home, but not so much luck overseas.

ZHU LINLIN, CEO SICHUAN KEYDOM SMART TECHNOLOGY "There are technological barriers we cannot break. China has tried hard, but we can't surpass the West in terms of the quality of our high-tech products."

They chose to go down a different path. The huge consumer base in China means huge amounts of data on user habits. Data mining can be gold for emerging markets along the Belt and Road. The Ancient Silk Road carried more than physical goods. Ideas and knowledge flow along new trade routes as well, as China promises opportunities for all. TY, CGTN, Chengdu.