Honorable Mr. Hinne, Member of the Executive Board of Duisburger Port,
Honorable Mr. Zhang Wen, General Manager of China Railway Container Transport （CRCT）Europe,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am glad to be invited to the 6th European Silk Road Summit today to discuss with you the opportunities and challenges presented by the new normal in the development of China-Europe freight rail connectivity.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October that the "Belt and Road Initiative" has become a popular public platform for international cooperation, and that it is necessary to further promote a high level of opening up to the world and promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.
President Xi met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a month ago, stressing that China-Europe relations are a matter of global stability and vital to the prosperity of both Asia and Europe. It is worthwhile for both sides to make efforts to maintain and develop these relationships.
As an international transport artery linking Europe and Asia, the China-Europe rail connections deserve our attention and require careful planning, so that more countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative can take part in the project and benefit from China's development. To get a bigger share, we have to bake a bigger cake.
The city of Duisburg is the right place for the event today. 11 years ago, the first China-Europe freight train left Chongqing and arrived in Duisburg, opening a new chapter in Asia-Europe railroad transport.
In 2014, President Xi visited the Port of Duisburg and welcomed the arrival of the Yuxinou (渝新欧) container train from Chongqing via Xinjiang to Europe. He also announced the opening of the fourth Chinese Consulate General in Germany - in Düsseldorf.
In just six months since I took office as Chinese Consul General in Düsseldorf, I have witnessed two milestones in China-Europe rail connections.
In July, the 10,000th China-Europe container train arrived in Duisburg from Chongqing, a remarkable achievement within the span of a few years.
In November, the first full-time schedule China-Europe freight train departed from the city of Xi'an and arrived in Duisburg,
opening a new chapter in the development of China-Europe rail links.
It's now possible for the trains to complete the journey from China to Europe in just 10 days.
Since the beginning, the China-Europe train has strongly promoted policy communication, facility connection and trade flows among countries along the route.
It has also driven capital integration, fostered people-to-people contacts as well as promoted linkages between Asia and Europe.
Data released by the China Railway in mid-November shows that 12,605 trains were operated between China and Europe from January to October this year, transporting 1.126 million TEUs of goods, an increase of 26% and 33%, respectively; the number of trains and the volume of goods transported exceeded the annual total in 2020.
We are aware the China-Europe rail link has been facing some serious challenges in recent times, due to the COVID pandemic, geopolitical tensions, global economic headwinds, rising risk of recession, as well as energy and supply chain issues.
The world is confronting multiple crises at the same time.
But new initiatives like the inauguration of a special China-Europe freight train to transport new energy vehicles and the further development of the southern corridor of the China-Europe rail link will turn crisis into opportunity, improve quality and efficiency, and bring vitality to the economy.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
In ancient times, camel caravans were used to carry goods throughout the Silk Road. Today, the caravan is made of steel, and is pulled by a train engine.
At the 17th G20 Leaders' Summit in Bali this year, President Xi underscored the need to make global development more inclusive, beneficial and resilient.
As China's economy continues to grow steadily and China-EU trade increases in quantity and quality, we believe that the demand for China-EU freight train connectivity will continue to remain high in the coming years.
We are willing and capable to contribute more to the stability of the international supply chain and promote high-quality projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
My team and I will continue to work toward deepening our bilateral relationship and ensure that all stakeholders benefit from the China-Europe train link.
I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to Duisburg Port Group, China Railway Container Transport（CRCT）Europe and all the guests here who have supported and made important contributions to the development of China-Europe rail connectivity for a long time.
I wish the European Silk Road Summit a successful event and a rewarding experience for everyone!
Thank you very much for your attention!
