Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in France, marking the first stop of his state visit to three EU countries. This visit aims to promote the stable and healthy development of China-Europe relations, serving as a beacon of stability and certainty in today's turbulent global landscape.
China and the EU are pivotal trading partners, with trade in goods reaching a remarkable $783 billion last year. Given the significant geographical distance between them, the efficiency of transportation is crucial for sustaining this impressive trade growth.
Geopolitical challenges have recently caused unprecedented disruptions to global maritime trade routes, which handle 90 percent of cargo trade worldwide. These disruptions have heavily impacted industries such as automotive, electronics, and fashion, which depend on timely deliveries. In contrast, rail transport across the Eurasian continent has thrived, offering a stable and reliable alternative.
The rising costs and quality demands of goods being transported have fueled the expansion of faster rail transportation. There is a growing demand for capital-intensive and time-sensitive products, including photovoltaic modules, new energy vehicles, batteries, electronics, machine parts, and plastic products.
Recent reports indicate that freight traffic between China and Europe has hit an all-time high, with 17,523 trips in 2023. These trips transported approximately 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), marking a 6 percent and 18 percent increase year on year, respectively. Notably, trade is becoming more balanced, with 9,343 trips heading west and 8,180 heading east.
Moreover, the average travel time for trains from Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province, to Duisburg in Germany has been reduced to around 10 days for the 9,908-kilometer journey, two days less than in 2023. This service also boasts significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions—15 times less than air travel and seven times less than road transport.
In the first two months of 2024, the number of China-Europe freight train trips increased by 9 percent, reaching 2,928 trips and carrying a total of 317,000 TEUs. This represents a 10 percent increase compared to the previous year, highlighting the freight industry's continued growth and improvement. These advancements provide a more efficient and eco-friendly means of transportation, supporting global trade and sustainability goals.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
