MSC Katie departed from Dalian Container Terminal on Monday, bound for the west coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This trip marked the launch of the first direct container shipping route linking the northeastern harbor city of Dalian with the area.

The newly opened shipping route boasts 11 large container ships with a capacity of 14,000 standard containers each, linking Dalian with several major European ports, including Gioia Tauro, La Spezia and Genoa in Italy, and Fos and Barcelona in France and Spain, respectively.

Winding along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the shipping route also passes through Middle Eastern countries such as Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The launch of the shipping channel greatly benefits trade between the region and European countries. This will effectively drive growth in their competitive industries, such as machinery and electrical equipment, automobiles and auto parts, chemicals, minerals, instruments and meters, as well as grain and frozen food, said Li Xiaoguang, general manager of Dalian Container Terminal Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Liaoning Port Group.

"So far, Dalian Port operates 105 container shipping routes, including 92 foreign trade routes, which cover more than 300 ports in more than 160 countries and regions worldwide," Li told Xinhua.