China-Europe freight trains eye infrastructure
Photo
taken on Aug 4, 2022 shows freight trains at Xi'an International Port
in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Beijing to intensify efforts to advance digital, smart development of routes
China is willing to cooperate with countries along China-Europe
Railway Express lines to jointly promote the construction of major
infrastructure projects to better enhance the capability to ensure
smooth operations of freight train services, a new report said on
Thursday.
The 2021 China-Europe freight trains development report, compiled by
the Office of the Leading Group for Promoting the Belt and Road
Initiative and China State Railway Group Co Ltd, said China stands ready
to work with those countries to jointly study the establishment of
intergovernmental cooperation mechanisms for the China-Europe freight
trains, build a stable international industrial and supply chain system,
as well as carry out research on new technologies and equipment.
Looking ahead, the report said China is ready to intensify efforts to
boost the digital and smart development of China-Europe freight trains,
jointly enhance implementation and standardization of regulations,
policies and technical standards as well as promote digital applications
of the trains.
Notably, China will continue to give full play to the role of the
Belt and Road Special Lending Scheme, the Silk Road Fund and special
investment funds in boosting connectivity between the two continents.
More efforts will also be made to develop Silk Road themed bonds and
support the effective operation of the Multilateral Cooperation Center
for Development Finance, a joint financial mechanism designed to promote
high-quality infrastructure and connectivity investment in developing
countries through partnerships.
Xu Jianping, director of the Department of Regional Opening-up at the
National Development and Reform Commission, said at a Thursday news
conference in Beijing that the China-Europe freight trains have played a
key role in strengthening international economic and trade ties.
Xu said the trains have become increasingly important in deepening
cooperation between the two continents, supporting China's regional
economic development and ensuring the security of industrial and supply
chains.
In the next step, Xu said the Office of the Leading Group for
Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative will work with relevant parties
to actively promote the upgrading of some domestic sections of railways
and renovation for capacity expansion of key ports along the
China-Europe railway express, and expand new transportation corridors
with countries in regions including Central and Eastern Europe, Central
Asia and Western Asia.
As of end-July, a total of over 57,000 China-Europe freight train
journeys were made, carrying 5.3 million twenty-foot equivalent unit
containers of goods worth nearly $300 billion. With a 98.3 percent
comprehensive heavy container rate, the trains reached 24 countries and
196 cities in Europe, Xu added.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the railway has served as a
lifeline for freight transportation between Asia and Europe. As of
end-July, China-Europe freight trains have transported a total of 14.2
million pieces and 109,000 metric tons of anti-pandemic supplies to
Europe.
Xia Jun, deputy director of the Department of Port Control at the
General Administration of Customs, said the China-Europe freight trains
are playing an increasingly important role in promoting economic and
trade ties between the two continents and stabilizing industrial and
supply chains.
In 2021, China's imports and exports with the 24 countries along
China-Europe freight train routes reached 6.88 trillion yuan ($1.01
trillion), up 19.7 percent year-on-year, said the administration.
Xia said the administration will step up efforts to continuously
support the development of new businesses such as cross-border
e-commerce and international postal services.
Zhuang He, director of the Freight Transport Department at China
State Railway Group, said the group is holding talks with railway
companies in Russia and Kazakhstan to promote paperless transportation
based on mutual recognition of electronic signatures.
Meanwhile, under the cooperation mechanism of the joint working group
on China-Europe freight trains transportation, relevant parties are
studying an implementation plan on blockchain information tracking to
further expand the scope of information sharing and provide convenient
services for customers.