On the morning of December 30, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel on the G0711 Urumqi–Yuli Expressway, the world's longest expressway tunnel under construction, was fully holed through. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region held simultaneous breakthrough ceremonies in Urumqi and at the project site. Ma Xingrui, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, attended the event; Erkin Tuniyaz, Deputy Secretary of the Regional Party Committee and Chairman of the Region, delivered a speech; and He Zhongyou, Deputy Secretary of the Regional Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, attended. Wang Tongzhou, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of China Communications Construction Group (CCCC), attended and delivered a speech.

       In his speech, Erkin Tuniyaz said that Xinjiang has been fully, accurately and comprehensively implementing the Party's strategy for governing Xinjiang in the new era, anchoring its strategic positioning in the national overall development, and accelerating high-quality economic and social development. In particular, it has made project construction the main focus of economic work, continued to expand effective investment, and planned and advanced a number of major projects that strengthen foundations, adjust the structure, increase momentum, benefit the long term and improve people's livelihoods, achieving major results. At present, industries across Tianshan are flourishing, the business environment is improving, and the momentum of opening up both domestically and internationally is strong; investing in Xinjiang is timely and promising. He expressed the hope that national ministries and central enterprises will continue to support Xinjiang's development as always, further increase investment, accelerate the progress of projects in Xinjiang, ensure smooth operation and deliver results as soon as possible. Xinjiang will continue to build a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment and provide solid guarantees for enterprise development with the greatest sincerity and the best services.

       In his speech, Wang Tongzhou said that CCCC, as a main force, has participated in the construction of the East Tianshan Tunnel, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel and the West Tianshan Tunnel in Xinjiang, contributing CCCC's strength to Xinjiang's high-quality economic development and long-term social stability. This is a vivid practice of CCCC's thorough implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on building a country with strong transportation, and also a tangible achievement of deeply integrating into Xinjiang's high-quality economic and social development. CCCC will always adhere to the philosophy of "responding whenever the central government calls, acting wherever Xinjiang has needs, and ensuring effective cooperation," take root in Xinjiang, build Xinjiang and dedicate itself to Xinjiang over the long term, leverage its comprehensive integrated service advantages, deepen cooperation in fields such as comprehensive transportation, urban development, water conservancy and ecological environmental protection, provide more high-quality and implementable package solutions, and work side by side with the people of Xinjiang to jointly build a beautiful Xinjiang and make every effort to serve Xinjiang's high-quality development.

       Sun Liqiang, Vice President of China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC Ltd.), reported on the project construction progress via video from the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel construction site.

       The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel is the most difficult and longest-duration key control project of the 320-kilometer Urumqi–Yuli Expressway. It is about 22.13 kilometers long, with a maximum burial depth of 1,112.6 meters, and is the world's longest expressway tunnel under construction. As the main highway corridor connecting northern and southern Xinjiang, once the Urumqi–Yuli Expressway is completed, the drive from Urumqi to Yuli will be shortened from more than 7 hours to about 3 hours, helping Xinjiang accelerate the realization of a connected internal road network, fast access in and out of Xinjiang, and smooth flow between northern and southern Xinjiang.

       Yang Zhichao, member of the Party Committee and Vice President of CCCC Ltd., Zhao Hui, Director of Market Development of CCCC, and heads of relevant units attended the meeting at the main venue; representatives of CCCC's engineering construction workers attended at the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel construction site. Before the breakthrough ceremony, Wang Tongzhou held discussions with the main leaders of the Party Committee and Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.