Chongqing - This year marks ten years of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the 12th anniversary of the China Railway Express (Yuxinou), representatives from Chongqing, Xinjiang, and Germany convened in a livestream on December 11 to discuss the global opportunities presented by this expansive rail network.
The livestream highlighted the shared advantages that China and Europe have gained from the BRI and spotlighted Chongqing's growing global presence.
As the pioneering China-Europe freight train route, the Yuxinou (Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe) railway boasts nearly 50 operating routes, linking over 100 cities across Asia and Europe.
During the livestream, Floral Xu, Manager of the Marketing & Sales Center of Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd, emphasized the significance of Duisburg, Germany, as Yuxinou's main arrival hub and its extensive reach across Europe. This has fostered strong partnerships with German companies.
One of Yuxinou's key partners is RTSB, a prominent operator in the Eurasian logistics corridor, also handling routes between Europe and China, including from Chongqing to Duisburg.
Wolfgang Rupf, Managing Director of RTSB Switzerland and Head of Sales CFF (Container Freight Forwarding), shared his insights on the railway during the livestream. He pointed out that collaboration with Yuxinou has enabled the exploration of new routes and stations, which is essential for expanding Europe's transportation network.
He believes the China Railway Express greatly benefits Germany's economy, fosters local job growth, and improves supply chain capabilities. "The increasing volumes of trains is unbelievable," he said."The market accepted this product."
The expansion of the China Railway Express has attracted more Chinese companies to Duisburg, seeing its market potential. Over 100 Chinese firms have set up offices in Duisburg, mainly focusing on the logistics and e-commerce sectors.
Initially landlocked and lacking direct sea access, Chongqing encountered inherent challenges in international trade. Nonetheless, the Yuxinou railway has become a significant opportunity for the city.
The Yuxinou railway begins at Chongqing's Tuanjiecun Station, where Chen Yuting, a reporter from the Western China International Communication Organization (WCICO), and Dima Du, Supervisor at the Operating Center of Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd, joined the live stream.
Du explained, "Yuxinou has transformed the logistics landscape for China's inland cities, turning Chongqing into a key trading hub between Asia and Europe." He emphasized Chongqing's strengths regarding departure frequency, goods value, and extensive coverage.
Currently, Yuxinou connects to over a hundred freight stations in cities like Duisburg and Hamburg in Germany, Budapest in Hungary, Helsinki in Finland, Hanoi in Vietnam, and Vientiane in Laos, among others.
Xu shared that the initial goal of the railway was to create a reliable and convenient logistics channel for products manufactured locally, thereby enhancing economic and trade exchanges between China and Europe.
Looking ahead, plans for transported products expand into advanced sectors like new energy vehicles and technology products, with a focus on multimodal logistics to extend business across Europe and boost bilateral economic and trade growth.
Over half of the China-Europe freight trains have traversed through the Urumqi International Land Port Area in the last decade, exiting China via Alataw Pass and Horgos Port in Xinjiang.
During the livestream from the Urumqi International Land Port Area, Jia Shaoqi, a journalist from the Xinjiang Daily, invited Zhong Hehua, Director of the Development Service Center of the port area, to discuss Xinjiang's strategic location and the collaboration between Chongqing and Xinjiang in the China Railway Express.
"Chongqing is the pioneer of the China Railway Express, with Xinjiang acting as its primary gateway to the west," Zhong stated. "Despite their distance, Chongqing and Xinjiang are connected by the China Railway Express and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC)."
The two regions have worked together on several initiatives, including testing trains for consolidating goods, focused transportation of freight trains, the EU–China Smart and Secure Trade Lanes (SSTL), and managing the inbound and outbound of railway express trains.
In June, they jointly tested trains for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan international multimodal transport corridor and the ILSTC, opening up a southern route for China-Europe freight trains.
With the collaborative efforts of an increasing number of domestic and international cities, the China Railway Express has evolved into a comprehensive network for logistics, economy, and trade that connects the world.
The guests expressed their hopes for more extensive and deeper cooperation among Chongqing, Xinjiang, and Europe in the future, contributing significantly to the BRI.
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