Interview: China-CEEC Summit offers opportunity for further cooperation, says Polish transport CEO

"We need new bridges, new railways. China could be brought in to help invest in that, maybe in the form of loans under favorable terms, because today's infrastructure is simply not ready for the future needs of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Tomasz Grzelak, CEO of Polish logistics company Hatrans.

The Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) offers an opportunity for cooperation between the two sides to proceed in the right direction, Tomasz Grzelak, CEO of Polish logistics company Hatrans, has said.

Tuesday's virtual summit hosted talks between leaders or high-level representatives of CEECs, including Polish President Andrzej Duda, about business and investment relations between China and CEECs.

In an interview with Xinhua after the summit, Grzelak voiced hope that the summit will boost joint infrastructure investment to expand the unprecedented economic opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the New Eurasian Land Bridge for the CEECs.

The China-proposed BRI plays a crucial role in overland trade between Europe and Asia, with rail being one of the primary modes of transport, he said.

"We need new bridges, new railways. China could be brought in to help invest in that, maybe in the form of loans under favorable terms, because today's infrastructure is simply not ready for the future needs of the Belt and Road Initiative," Grzelak said.

"There should also be one standardized inspection system used by all parties," he said. "We need digital solutions, instead of today's paper documents that travel with each train. The times have changed."

"The digitization of the New Eurasian Land Bridge should be a priority, as it contributes to the waiting lines we see at the borders," Grzelak stressed.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2020 saw further growth of rail transport volumes between Europe and China. With 12,406 trains running in the year, the China Railway Express broke the mark of 10,000 trips for the first time.

"It's testament to the great success of the whole idea," Grzelak said, adding that "the growth last year has been incredible, but we have seen similar growth in other modes of transport between China and Europe."

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, Grzelak said, rail transport suffered from a lack of trust when it came to regularity, punctuality and long-term contracts. But last year it brought in goods fairly quickly.

"The type of goods that need such timely delivery were ordered more often than before. The rise of e-commerce has also played an important role in this, with more goods being ordered from Chinese online platforms," Grzelak added.

Hatrans Logistics is the operator of the China Railway Express (Chengdu-Lodz) freight train in Lodz. Chengdu is the capital of the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan while Lodz, located in central Poland, is the third largest city in the country.