A convoy of Chinese automobiles will have the chance to drive through more than 20 cities across four countries along the ancient Silk Road on an international tour, which is scheduled to start this September in Yinchuan, capital city of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China.

The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region's government holds a press conference in Beijing on Jan. 22 to promote the "Friendly tour from China to the Arab states." [Photo by Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]

"Driving along the Silk Road – Friendly tour from China to the Arab states" will enable Chinese drivers to experience different, exotic landscapes and cultures in Pakistan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The tour is one of the events to mark the "Year of the Silk Road" planned by the China national tourism authority, and the drivers recruited for the tour will represent a friendly image of China as they travel westward, said Xue Gang, vice secretary of the Ningxia government, at a press conference for its promotion in Beijingon Friday, Jan. 22, 2016.

"The tour, which will last more than one moth, allows our drivers to explore the ancient Silk Road and spread friendship. It will be an unprecedented experience for those who are fond of self-driving tours," he said.

The tour also seeks to boost tourism cooperation in consolidatingfriendship between China and the Arab states, an effort that will embody Chinese President Xi Jinping's call to strengthen ties with Arab countries, which are natural partners in China's initiative to shape the "Belt and Road." It is also part of the series of celebrations to mark the 65th anniversary of relations between China and Pakistan. The Chinese convoy will reach the Pakistani cities of Sost, Gilgit, Islamabad, Lahore, Sukkur and Karachi, according to Zhou Mingxin, general manager of Ningxia Tourism Group, the organizer of the tour.

Regarding specific issues such as customs procedures for Chinese personnel, vehicles and supplies, Fan Xianrong, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Ningxia, admitted that "many difficulties still remain, and their solutions will take concerted efforts."

"It involves very complicated procedures. Our convoy will reach three foreign countries, so the workload will be multiplied by three. Also, cars in China operate on the right side, but they operate on the left side in Pakistan; those countries may not readily recognize a Chinese driver's license," said Fan.

Fan said that inviting Masood Khalid, the Pakistani Ambassador to China, along with representatives from Oman and the UAE, to the promotion conference, is a means to seek their efforts in streamlining these procedures.

Fan assured that the tour will be a unique experience for the recruited drivers, since a random individual can hardly have the chance to drive across these countries if without intergovernmental cooperation. He added that Ningxia will organize more tours of this kind in the future.