Railway link to further boost China-Europe connectivity

Editor's note: Djoomart Otorbaev, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a former Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, a professor of the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University, a member of Nizami Ganjavi International Center, and the author of the book "Central Asia's Economic Rebirth in the Shadow of the New Great Game" (Routledge, 2023). The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in France as the first stop of his state visit of three EU countries. This visit, expected to promote the stable and healthy development of China-Europe relations, is a beacon of stability and certainty in the current turbulent world situation, providing further impetus for global cooperation and growth.

China and the EU are important trading partners, with trade in goods reaching $783 billion last year. Given that they are geographically far apart, transportation efficiency is crucial for sustainable trade growth.

However, geopolitical challenges have caused unprecedented disruptions to global maritime trade routes, facilitating 90 percent of cargo trade worldwide. It has significantly impacted the automotive, electronics, and fashion industries, which rely heavily on timely delivery. While maritime shipping faces numerous crises, rail transport across the Eurasian continent thrives and proliferates, offering a stable and reliable alternative.

The increase in the cost and quality of goods transported drives the expansion of faster rail transportation. There is a growing demand for capital-intensive and time-sensitive products such as photovoltaic modules, new energy vehicles, batteries, electronics, machine parts, and plastic products.

According to recent reports, freight traffic between China and Europe has reached an all-time high, with 17,523 trips in 2023. These trips carried a total of about 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), which is an increase of 6 and 18 percent year on year, respectively. It is also important that trade is becoming increasingly symmetrical – 9,343 trips were in a western direction, and 8,180 in an eastern direction.

Furthermore, the train now takes around 10 days to travel 9,908 kilometers from Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province, to Duisburg in Germany, two days less than in 2023. It is worth noting that this service's average carbon dioxide emissions are 15 times less than air travel and seven times less than road transport.

In addition, the number of China-Europe freight train trips has increased 9 percent year-on-year, with 2,928 trips made in the first two months of 2024. During this period, the route carried a total of 317,000 TEUs, which is an increase of 10 percent compared to the previous year. All of this data indicates that the freight industry is continuing to thrive and improve, providing a more efficient and eco-friendly means of transportation.

A significant amount of rail cargo travels through Central Asia. Therefore, improving Central Asia's relations with Europe is crucial to enhancing logistics between Asia and Europe. This topic was discussed at the 19th European Union-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting in Luxembourg on October 23, 2023, where EU and Central Asian foreign ministers had comprehensive discussions. They especially emphasized the need for expanded cooperation in energy, transport, mining, and raw material processing. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell invited countries in the region to "turn global challenges into shared opportunities," a clear testament to the collaborative spirit that underpins this conference.

The EU has plans to strengthen its partnerships with Central Asia by investing 10 billion euros (around $10.8 billion) in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) or the Middle Corridor. The TITR is a trade route that starts from China and passes through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Türkiye, ultimately reaching Europe.

Fast-growing rail traffic between China and Europe gives European policymakers confidence that the project will pay off. The obvious beneficiary of such a project would be Central Asia, which not only gains access to Chinese and European markets but also, for the first time, opens the possibility of trade both among themselves and with the countries of the South Caucasus and Türkiye by rail. The revival of the new Silk Road may become a reality.

Enhanced collaboration between China and Europe offers great potential for mutual benefits. Their cooperation across multiple domains, such as trade, geopolitics, and international relations, can result in substantial progress. Central Asia, a natural land bridge between the East and the West, can leverage investment and trade development from this partnership.

Europe is keen on establishing trade relations with China and Central Asia by utilizing the Middle Corridor, the shortest route connecting Europe with the region and China. Modern high-speed railways are the most suitable technology for constructing this route. Therefore, it is crucial to involve all interested parties in planning and designing the infrastructure of the Middle Corridor to ensure that the future railway becomes a prime example of the most advanced and economically feasible project of the 21st century.

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