On December 7, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying presided over a regular press conference. A reporter asked a question. We saw that the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently issued a statement saying that Turkey’s first export cargo train to China departed from Istanbul for Xi’an, China, on December 4.
This is the first China-EU train to leave Turkey and be full of export commodities since it first passed through Turkey in November 2019. When will this train arrive in China? What is the significance of this train in the current situation?
Hua Chunyu said that we warmly welcomed Turkey’s first freight train for export commodities to China. The freight train, which departed from Istanbul on December 4, carries 42 containers and will cross 8,693 kilometers. It will arrive in Xi’an, China, about 12 days later, that is, next week.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, global logistics has not been smooth, and trade has shrunk. Against this background, land transportation corridors show strong momentum, promote the cross-border flow of goods and services and the resumption of work and production of enterprises, and play a good role as a new artery of international transport.
The number of China-EU trains you just mentioned during the epidemic has increased against the trend, becoming a “life channel”, “tact of fate” and a “steel camel team” to stabilize the international supply chain for countries along the route in anti-epidemic cooperation. The operation of the export commodity freight train to China will further promote the economic recovery of the countries along the route, strengthen transportation, trade and cultural ties, and better serve the people of the countries along the route.
The operation of the export commodity freight train to China vividly interprets China’s opening up to the outside world and China’s opportunities. Under the new development pattern, China’s market potential will be fully stimulated and more demand will be created for all countries in the world.
China’s per capita GDP has exceeded 10,000 US dollars, with more than 400 million middle-income people, and many international agencies expect China’s commodity retail market to reach $6 trillion this year.
With the continuous development of China’s economy and the Chinese people’s yearning for a better life, there will be more demand for more diversified and high-quality products, technologies and services from all over the world.
This will certainly provide broader market opportunities for countries and a stronger impetus for the stable development of the world economy. We welcome all countries to seize China’s opportunity to further strengthen mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation with China.
