On July 16th, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated at a regular press conference that since the beginning of this year, the China Europe freight train has operated a total of 10000 trains, sending over one million TEUs of goods, an increase of 11% year-on-year; The operation volume of China Europe freight trains on the three main transportation channels of West, Central, and East increased by 13%, 20%, and 5% respectively year-on-year. The cumulative operation volume of China Europe freight trains on the South Channel increased by 15 times year-on-year, injecting new momentum into ensuring the stability of the production and supply chain and promoting economic and trade exchanges between China and Europe.

Previously, China National Railway Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "China Railway Group") disclosed on the WeChat official account "China Railway" that in 2024, China Europe trains will break through 10000 trains 19 days earlier than last year, showing a good trend of both quantity and quality.

Xu Feibiao, Director of the BRICS and G20 Center at the China Institute of Modern International Relations, stated in an interview with Securities Daily that the resilient growth of China's foreign trade since the beginning of the year has contributed significantly to the aforementioned achievements; The increase in global shipping costs and risks further highlights the safety and convenience of China Europe freight trains, and also boosts related demand.

Network effects foster a virtuous cycle

The China Europe freight train is a "steel camel caravan" that crosses mountains and seas, and also a "golden train" full of development opportunities. The latest data released by China Railway Group shows that as of now, the China Europe freight train has reached 224 cities in 25 European countries and connected over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. With the advantages of fast, high-quality, safe and stable transportation, China Europe Express has become a landmark brand of the "the Belt and Road".

Xu Feibiao said, "The China Europe freight train has grown from scratch, gradually forming a transportation network covering the Eurasian continent, and gradually possessing a self reinforcing 'network effect', that is, the wider the network, the greater its convenience, the lower the transportation cost, and the more users, thus entering a virtuous cycle of development

This iconic brand not only allows more and more "Chinese good goods" to go abroad at a faster speed and lower freight rates, but also opens up new trade channels for merchants from all over the world to enter the Chinese market.

Liang Haiming, president of the "the Belt and Road" Research Institute of Hainan University, said to the reporter of Securities Daily that at present, China Europe Express is showing several characteristics: the variety of goods transported is increasingly diverse, from the initial electronic products and mechanical equipment to food, clothing, auto parts, chemical products, etc., covering a variety of industries and meeting various needs; The transportation time is short, with sea freight taking a month or even longer, while China Europe freight trains often only take 15 to 18 days to complete; Relatively less affected by weather and other factors, it can better ensure the timely arrival of goods.

The win-win cooperation is reflected in every detail of the China Europe freight train transportation. Liang Haiming analyzed that through the cooperation with the countries jointly building the "the Belt and Road", the China Europe Express has realized the seamless connection of multimodal transport and solved various cross-border transport problems. By setting up dedicated lines or encrypted schedules for specific goods and customer needs, it not only promotes the continuous prosperity of international trade, but also injects new vitality into building an open world economy.

Multiple measures to further stimulate radiation effects

Since the beginning of this year, the China Europe freight train has continuously achieved remarkable results. For example, data released by China Railway Group shows that in May, a total of 1724 China Europe freight trains were operated, sending 186000 TEUs of goods, an increase of 14% and 13% respectively year-on-year, setting a new historical high in monthly freight volume.

China continues to promote the development of the western region, the rise of the central region, and the obvious signs of economic recovery in the northern region. The industrial structure in various regions continues to optimize, and market potential is being released, which has contributed to the good performance of the China Europe freight train, "said Yu Nanping, a professor at the School of Politics and International Relations of East China Normal University, to a reporter from Securities Daily.

Over the past decade, the capacity of the China Europe freight train channel has continued to increase, the quality has steadily improved, and the radiation effect has become increasingly prominent. How to promote its further vigorous development in the future?

Yu Nanping believes that in the future, it is recommended that relevant parties focus on trade balance and stabilize the European and American markets, continue to explore markets in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Russia, do a good job in institutional design and prediction, and effectively tap into trade potential.

Professor Lv Yue from the National Institute of Opening up at the University of International Business and Economics stated in an interview with Securities Daily that firstly, we need to strengthen international cooperation on China Europe freight trains, form a smooth channel for the value chain in the Asia Europe region, adhere to the principle of consultation, co construction, and sharing, and further promote the transformation of China Europe freight trains from assisting trade cooperation to promoting industrial cooperation; Secondly, promote the informatization, digitization, and intelligence construction of the China Europe freight train to improve its operational efficiency; Finally, continuously improve the service system of the China Europe freight train and leverage its role as a bridge for people to people exchanges.