Containers carrying oil-rich sunflower seeds imported from Kazakhstan are loaded in Urad Rear Banner on Wednesday. [Photo by Liu Sheng/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Freight train service between China, Europe launched in 2011 boon to growth
President Xi Jinping has underlined the significant role of the China-Europe Railway Express in maintaining global industrial and supply chains, saying that the nation is willing to work with all parties to leverage the freight train service to better contribute to global economic growth.
Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory letter sent to the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum, which was held on Friday in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province.
Themed "Deepening Interconnectivity and Promoting Win-Win Cooperation", the forum was jointly hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Transport, the General Administration of Customs, China State Railway Group and some local governments.
Xi said in the message that since its launch, the China-Europe Railway Express has maintained safe, stable and unimpeded operations, thus creating a new pattern of international transportation between Asia and Europe and providing a new platform for economic and trade cooperation along the route.
It has effectively ensured stability of global industrial and supply chains and injected new momentum into the development of the global economy, he added.
Xi said that China will continue to work with all parties to uphold the spirit of the Silk Road featuring peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, and adhere to the principles of extensive consultation and joint contribution with benefits shared by all, in order to promote high-quality development of the China-Europe Railway Express.
He underlined the joint efforts taken to make the freight train service more efficient and even safer in order to make new and greater contributions to promoting global economic development, improve the well-being of people in all countries, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
The launch of a rail freight service from Chongqing via the Alashankou border crossing in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region through Central Asia to Europe in March 2011 ushered in a new era for rail-bound freight as an alternative to shipping by sea or air.
Fueled by the rollout of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe Railway Express service has boosted connectivity between China and Europe and the rest of the world. In addition to offering freight transport solutions, it contributes to flows of global investment, resources, technology and skilled personnel, and facilitates global cross-sector collaboration.
In a significant milestone for international trade, a staggering 77,000 China-Europe freight trains have been in operation over the past decade, said the National Development and Reform Commission.
These trains have transported an impressive 7.31 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of goods, with a total estimated value exceeding $340 billion.
The extensive transportation network of the China-Europe Railway Express has connected 217 cities in 25 European countries, solidifying its role as a vital bridge for international economic and trade cooperation.
