China-Europe freight trains grow against trend

  Sino-European pragmatic cooperation promotes world economic recovery

  Since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia, China and the EU have supported and helped each other. The economic and trade exchanges between China and the EU have withstood the impact, demonstrated strong resilience and continued to expand cooperation areas. People from all walks of life in China and Europe interviewed by our reporter said that the vitality of China-EU trade is a positive signal for both sides and the world economy. The joint construction of the “Belt and Road” provides new opportunities for China-EU economic development. The two major economies of China and Europe should give full play to the world economy. The role of the "dual engine" has driven the recovery and growth of the world economy.

  "Trade with China has become the key to our business growth"

  "Despite the dual impact of the epidemic and the British'Brexit', the port business volume in the first half of the year still exceeded 25 million tons, achieving an increase of more than 14%. This was mainly due to the goods trade between Europe and China and the Far East." Belgian Zee Said Pepion de Vries, head of international trade at the Port of Bruges.

  This achievement was hard-won. De Vries said that the epidemic has caused many industries to suspend work and production to varying degrees, and some freighters even canceled their transportation plans, which greatly affected their business. "Trade with China has become the key to our business growth. Among them, COSCO SHIPPING has played an important role in the smooth logistics process. With the relief of the epidemic and the rapid recovery of trade volume, we are confident in this year's performance."

  Like the Port of Zeebrugge, the Chinese business volume of many European ports continues to increase. Matthias Schultz, head of the Asian market at the Port of Hamburg, Germany, pointed out that of the 9.3 million TEU business at the Port of Hamburg last year, 2.6 million TEUs came from trade with China. In addition, more than 100,000 TEUs were transported through China-Europe Express trains last year.

  According to statistics released by the Port of Piraeus, Greece, in the first quarter of this year, the port business volume reached 1.37 million TEUs, higher than the same period last year. Business from China and the Far East is also the key to the port’s rapid growth. After strengthening ties with China, the port last year had a business volume of 5.65 million TEUs, surpassing the Spanish Port of Valencia to become the first in the Mediterranean and the fourth largest in Europe.

  When talking about why Sino-European trade can maintain vitality in the epidemic, Zhang Min, a researcher at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that this is mainly due to the increasingly close and continuously deepening economic and trade relations between China and Europe. Although the epidemic has had an impact on all walks of life, China and Europe have worked hard to overcome the adverse effects of the epidemic, maintain social and economic order, and always adhere to an open policy to stabilize normal bilateral trade.

  "During the period of epidemic prevention and control, the value of the China-Europe Express Express has further emerged"

  In April this year, the China-Europe Express train departing from Jinan arrived in Hamburg, Germany, bringing much-needed anti-epidemic materials and wind turbine components to Germany and other European countries. In the shadow of the epidemic, China-Europe Express has become more prominent in ensuring the value of supply chains in China-Europe and countries and regions along the railway.

  The Port of Hamburg has not only realized normalized operations with Zhengzhou and other Chinese cities, but also realized land-sea combined transport with China-Europe Express. At present, the Port of Hamburg is the largest transportation hub for China-Europe Express trains in Germany, radiating Germany and other European countries, and is an important part of the international transportation supply chain. "During the epidemic prevention and control period, the value of the China-Europe Express Express has further emerged." Schultz said that the business volume of the China-Europe Express Express has greatly increased, which has played a key role in ensuring the transportation of anti-epidemic materials and other goods, and has become another type of security between Europe and China. Efficient mode of transportation. As a partner of China-Europe Express, the Port of Hamburg and its entire logistics system will provide good services for it.

  Facing the challenge of the epidemic, China-Europe Express has opened up new business, achieved growth against the trend, and continuously set new records since its operation. According to data from China National Railway Group Co., Ltd., in the first half of the year, the total number of China-Europe freight trains was 5,122, a year-on-year increase of 36%; in June, 1,169 trains were opened, a record high. In the first half of the year, the total volume of goods transported reached 461,000 TEUs, an increase of 41% year-on-year. The contrarian growth of China-Europe Express has played an important role in fighting the epidemic in Europe and ensuring the stability of the European industrial chain and supply chain.

  Zhang Min believes that due to the impact of the epidemic, global aviation and maritime transport have been banned, suspended, and reduced to varying degrees. The contrarian growth of China-Europe Express Express further reflects that China-Europe Express Express is in stabilizing China-EU economic and trade cooperation and maintaining the global industrial chain. It has unique advantages in orderly operation of the supply chain.

  Gezavier Vandepepin, Director of China-Europe Railway Transport of French Favodi Group, believes that with the help of China-Europe trains, upgrades of communication tools, and digital payment applications, economic and trade exchanges between European and Chinese companies have become more convenient, and EU-China cooperation has become closer. . "The China-Europe Express Train not only provides new transportation channels for suppliers in Europe and China and along the route, but also creates a new platform for EU-China cooperation."

  Richard Kozul-Wright, Director of the Globalization and Development Strategy Division of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, said: "As the world's two largest economies, Europe and China account for about one-third of the world's total economic volume. EU-China economic and trade cooperation The stability of the global industrial chain is essential to the security of the supply chain."

  "The close cooperation between Europe and China is beneficial to both parties and even more to the world"

  In July this year, the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim launched an innovation cooperation center in Shanghai and announced that it will increase its capital in China by 450 million euros in the next five years. As early as March, Boehringer Ingelheim’s Digital Innovation Lab decided to set up its first overseas branch in Shanghai, with an initial investment of 3 million euros, and join hands with local innovative talents in China to accelerate the search for breakthrough treatments for major diseases. pace of. "China is one of Boehringer Ingelheim's most important markets in the world, and it is also the center of global digital health innovation. We will continue to invest and deepen the Chinese market." said Gao Qifei, President and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Greater China.

  Boehringer Ingelheim's investment in China, focusing on long-term development, is a microcosm of European companies investing in China. Nowadays, more and more European companies invest in China and grow up in this land full of business opportunities. At the same time, more Chinese companies have started their businesses in Europe. In 2015, China General Nuclear Power Europe Energy Company officially acquired the Charmont Wind Farm in France. The company currently operates 16 projects in many European countries, which not only deepens Sino-European energy cooperation, but also uses tangible achievements to help Europe's "green transition".

  Claudia Vernodi, head of the Belgian China-Europe Digital Association, said that China’s economy achieved positive growth in the second quarter. The EU summit reached an agreement on a 750 billion euro “recovery fund”. “These are all major good news. China-China cooperation has injected confidence into global economic growth."

  Alicia García Herrero, a senior researcher at the Bruegel Institute, an EU think tank, said: “The epidemic still threatens global public health security and economic stability. Strengthened cooperation between Europe and China will help the recovery of the global economy. Reducing geopolitical risks The negative impact of the world economy urgently requires the EU and China to deepen all-round cooperation."

  Kozul-Wright believes that the strengthening of EU-China economic and trade relations will send important positive signals to the international community, which is of great significance for the current global economy facing confidence deficits, increased uncertainty, and weak recovery. Cooperation is beneficial to both parties and even the world."

  (Our newspaper, Brussels, August 16th)

  Our correspondent in Belgium Wu Jun and Zhang Penghui