A forum on China-Europe freight train cooperation will be held on Thursday in Lianyungang City, east China's Jiangsu Province, according to a press release by the People's Government of Jiangsu Province on Monday.

Themed "Deepening connectivity partnership and writing a new chapter in cooperative development," the forum will host a series of events, including a main forum, two parallel forums, and a review on the 30-year development of the New Eurasian Land Bridge (NELB), gathering over 400 guests from home and abroad, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Germany and Hungary.

During the forum, a report on the development of China-Europe freight train will be released by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in two language versions, English and Russian, focusing on the achievements, inspirations and visions of the freight train service.

China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. will unveil a national website for the China-Europe freight train service as a one-stop information platform.

Besides, related regions will announce about 50 cooperation achievements in the fields of economy and trade, hub construction and cross-border e-commerce, in a bid to fuel the sustainable development of the freight train service.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the official opening of the NELB, an international passageway linking the Pacific and the Atlantic.

Up to now, the five cities in Jiangsu, including Nanjing, Xuzhou, Suzhou, Nantong and Lianyungang, have opened 23 routes to reach nearly 80 cities in Europe, Central Asia and Southeast Asia. From January to November this year, the number of freight train trips between Jiangsu and Europe is estimated to reach 1,800, up 12 percent year on year.

The China-Europe freight train service has served as an important trade link between Asia and Europe. With 82 routes, the trains now reach 200 cities in 24 European countries, forming a transport network covering the whole of Europe, according to the operator.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and regional instabilities, China-Europe freight train service has remained stable, helping boost the volume of China-EU trade.

Source: Belt and Road Portal