Global Times: China-proposed BRI drives major infrastructure upgrades and fosters closer global connectivity

BEIJING, Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sounding the horns, a China-Europe freight train loaded with electronic goods, light industrial items and more drew away from a train station in Southwest China's Chongqing in early December. The train is headed for European countries including Germany and Hungary through the Trans-Caspian international transportation route in only a few days.

The train marks the official inauguration of a special rail express as part of the China-Europe freight train service starting from Chongqing to Europe, which is a multimodal transport corridor integrating rail and water transportation, Sun Ping, an official from China Railway Chengdu Group Co's public affairs department, told the Global Times.

The corridor passes through Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea, and ultimately reaches Europe via Turkey or across the Black Sea.

China has highlighted the construction of the Trans-Caspian international transportation corridor as one of eight major initiatives to support high-quality Belt and Road development. In July this year, heads of state from China and Kazakhstan jointly attended the opening ceremony of the Trans-Caspian international transportation route via a video link, Xinhua News Agency reported.

As part of the broader picture, the launch signifies an important development of the China-Europe freight train -- a flagship service contributing to the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as it opens up a new rail-sea trade route across the Eurasian continent, providing the landlocked countries in Central Asia with more opportunities to grow their economies.

This year marks the 11th year of the BRI, and the beginning of the second golden decade of that framework. According to industry observers, one of the most lauded outcomes of BRI development throughout the year is its contribution to boosting infrastructure and intercontinental connectivity.

Ever-closer connectivity

The ever-expanding China-Europe rail freight service offers a vivid manifestation of how BRI ramps up regional connectivity and facilitates trade and economic exchanges over the last 11 years. The service, marking its 100,000th train run in November, now connects with 227 cities scattered in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.

"Over the past decade, the China-Europe freight trains have delivered 2.1 million types of Chinese-made commodities from Yiwu, a trading hub located in East China's Zhejiang Province dubbed as the world's supermarket, to BRI partner countries. Those goods include automobile and parts, photovoltaic products, machinery and other high value-added products. It also delivered over 100,000 types of commodities from over 100 countries, such as wines and medical devices from Europe to China," Hu Xiaowei, a representative from China Railway Shanghai Group Co, told the Global Times.

According to Hu, this year, the signature BRI railway network has recorded continuous improvement, including improved efficiency, lowered running cost, fewer delays, in addition to adding new destinations, consolidating its role as a key pillar in ensuring smooth operation of international supply chains.

"The project demonstrates that China is joining hands with BRI partner countries to build a good path of prosperity, characterized by shared economic growth, complementary trade, and closer people-to-people connections," Hu noted.

In recent years, global maritime links have significantly expanded under the enhanced BRI cooperation framework. For example, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Peru's Chancay Port is set to serve a direct route to Shanghai which will operate two container ships a week, after the landmark BRI project in Latin America commenced trial operation on November 14.

Maya Majueran, director of Belt & Road Initiative in Sri Lanka, described the Chancay Port as one of the most strategic and meaningful advancements under BRI infrastructure connectivity in 2024.

"This groundbreaking connectivity initiative will significantly upgrade cargo movement between Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Asia, forging critical links with China, Japan, South Korea as well as other Asia-Pacific countries," Majueran told the Global Times on Wednesday, while highlighting that the port's role as a key hub for trade between China and Peru.

In addition to Peruvian products, Brazilian soybeans, iron ore, and chilled meat, along with Colombian coffee and avocados, will also be transported to Asia through this new shipping route in the future, helping the Latin America region to tap into new opportunities brought by the Asia-Pacific economic integration, Majueran noted.

Network taking shape

This year also witnessed a number of new milestones across multiple regional connectivity projects which are part of the BRI, including the third anniversary of the China-Laos Railway operation, as well as the first year of operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway.

Based on a framework comprising "six corridors, six routes, and multiple countries and ports," a multi-tiered infrastructure network is now taking shape, according to a white paper released by China's State Council Information Office. Analysts said the network is laying a solid foundation for broader cooperation among BRI partners, in addition to strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchanges among the peoples.

According to Majueran, China always places great emphasis on infrastructure development, recognizing it as the launch pad of economic take-off.

During the fourth symposium on Belt and Road construction work held this month, China said that ramped-up efforts should be made to create new space for win-win development at a higher level under the BRI framework, and with greater resilience and sustainability, Xinhua reported.

"Connectivity has been listed as a priority of BRI development…Enhanced connectivity and deeper economic cooperation are crucial to unlocking economic potential and fostering sustainable development throughout the Global South," Majueran said.

Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Research Center of the Belt and Road Initiative, told the Global Times on Thursday that the overarching transportation network under BRI embodies "the spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit," which holds significance against the backdrop of rising unilateralism and protectionism in the world.

"Looking ahead, the BRI will make greater contribution to building a global community of shared future and establishing a more just and reasonable international order," the director noted.