As an important platform for the development of land bridge economy, the China-Europe Railway Express carries the ardent hope of China's "Silk Road Economic Belt" opening to the west and promoting international cooperation with Central Asia and Europe. On December 23, 2020, Turkey published an article stating that the China-Europe Railway Express represents the revival of the ancient Silk Road and will promote the development of the world economic structure in a more balanced direction.

On December 19, 2020, Turkey's first export freight train to China arrived in Xi'an, China. This train departed from Istanbul, Turkey on December 4, carrying 42 containers, passing through the "middle corridor" of the Caspian Sea, passing through Central Asian countries such as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, and finally entering China through the Khorgos port in Xinjiang, with a total of 8,693 operations. Kilometers.

China-Europe Express will change the world economic order

Demir Oz, head of the Department of International Economics and Development of Istanbul University School of Economics, said that in the past three centuries, global trade has been concentrated in the Atlantic countries, so Western countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands occupy an important global trade position. With the weakening of the dominance of shipping and changes in global trade routes, the world's financial centers will also change accordingly. "The successful passage of this train means the revival of the ancient Silk Road and the Spice Route, which will change the world economic order prevailing since the 17th century." Demir Oz said.

In Demir Oz's view, the Belt and Road Initiative has changed the global trade landscape and is leading the direction of future development. Countries and cities along the Belt and Road will become more prosperous. At the same time, the regional economic status of Eastern Mediterranean countries such as Cyprus and Lebanon, and Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey and Iran will also improve.

Milestones in Turkey's logistics development

In November 2019, the China-Europe Express "Changan" crossed the Caspian Sea for the first time and reached the European market via Ankara, Turkey. The successful launch of Turkey's first freight train for export commodities to China this time has become another important milestone in the history of Turkish railway transportation. The transportation time of goods from Turkey to China has been shortened from the past month to 12 days, and the transportation time of goods from the Far East to Western Europe has been shortened to 18 days.

Karaismailoglu, the Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, believes that the connection of this train symbolizes that the prelude to a new era of Turkish rail transport has begun. Turkey is planning to establish logistics centers in Africa, America, Europe and the Far East, so that Turkish goods can reach foreign markets in the fastest way and at an affordable cost.

Ahmed Aybar, director of the Economics and Finance Department of the Faculty of Economics and Administration, Istanbul Aydin University, stated that the China-Turkey railway train will reduce the freight and time costs of Turkish goods entering the international trade market, and enhance the international competition of Turkish manufacturers. force. At the same time, the China-Turkey railway train is an important part of the construction of a modern railway transportation system within the framework of the Belt and Road project between China and Turkey. This will not only help Turkish goods enter the regional and global markets, but also establish trade between China and Turkey. The partnership has made outstanding contributions.

In order to allow more countries and regions to share the dividends of the Belt and Road Initiative, international trains have achieved a three-line parallel pattern with Russia in the north, Turkey in the south, and Poland in the middle, covering multiple major European node cities; connecting to Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries The southbound passage of China has constructed a sea-rail multimodal transport network covering the world. Editor/Sang Xiaomei