The CHINA RAILWAY Express, which connects the world supermarket Yiwu with the European largest commodity distribution center Madrid, has been operating for four years. The longest international cargo transportation train of CHINA RAILWAY Express has become a "visible and touchable" carrier of economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges among countries along the line, and a new bridge for open cooperation among countries and people along the line.

Transport Facilitation Promotes Bilateral Trade Growth

11 a.m. Madrid time on the 24th, a CHINA RAILWAY Express train full of cargo slowly entered Madrid Station. To celebrate the 4th anniversary of “YXE”, the train was newly painted with the delicate patterns of the Chinese Forbidden City, tea garden and Spanish cuisine etc., which displayed the multiculturalism of China and Spain.

Since its launch on November 18th, 2014, "YXE" CHINA RAILWAY Express has achieved leapfrog development. Up to October 20th, 2018, 532 roundtrips were made, totaling 45,372 containers. It has nine routes and radiates in nine directions to Central Asia, Spain, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Latvia, Belarus, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic.

The agglomeration function of train is obvious, covering eight provinces and cities, including Zhejiang, Shanghai, Guangdong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, Fujian and Jiangxi, covering nearly 2000 kinds of Chinese manufactured goods such as daily commodities, clothing, bags and hardware tools.

The CHINA RAILWAY Express has contributed to a higher level of openness in Yiwu. For example, the opening of meat ports and international mail bureaus, the continuous reform of trade facilitation, and the rapid development of import markets and cross-border e-commerce.The train has generated a total of more than 3.5 billion US dollars in import and export trade.

Through the CHINA RAILWAY Express, European products such as red wine, maternal and infant products, high-grade kitchen utensils, sanitary ware, automotive parts and components can enter the Chinese market more smoothly. Taking Spain as an example, the data shows that since the opening of the "YXE" CHINA RAILWAY Express, the export volume of Spanish products to Yiwu has increased from less than US$1.6 million in 2014 to US$10105.6 million in 2017.

"Steel Camel Team" Explores New Space for Cooperation

On September 26th, a container dedicated to postal services, "YXE" CHINA RAILWAY Express started successfully from Yiwu Railway Port. 3240 international mails were delivered to Malashevich Station, Poland, which symbolized that the weekly routine postal service was officially opened.

This time, the international mails were sent from more than 100 cross-border e-commerce enterprises to 14 European countries including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and the Czech republic. With the development of cross-border e-commerce, "YXE" CHINA RAILWAY Express cooperates with China Post, Cainiao, DHL, Yanwen Express, Spain Mail Express, British Yodel Direct and other international postal express delivery giant, designed the "Yiwu Express" - departure from Yiwu Port, straight to EU and the UK, the business model of Central Asian, European Union and British consumers is radiated through the development of international express delivery business.

Feng Xubin, chairman of the operator Yiwu Timex Industrial Investment Co., Ltd., believes that developing international express business with goods of higher value and more accurate service is an innovation in technology and operation mode of the "YXE" CHINA RAILWAY Express. The railway transportation time of about two weeks also provides a more competitive new choice for cross-border e-commerce logistics.

"YXE" CHINA RAILWAY Express set up 4 branches and 8 overseas warehouses in Madrid, Duisburg, London and Moscow along the line, and radiated 34 countries. It also promoted the construction of “Belt and Road” Czech station, Warsaw trading area of China Commodity City and Great Stone project, and found more cooperation space between the two sides.

Railway lines build bridges of friendship.

On November 18th, the fourth anniversary of the YXE, the two cities yiwu and Madrid connected by the train held an interactive two-city marathon. Thousands of citizens took part in the marathon in Yiwu. The track in Madrid also has signposts and maps of the CHINA RAILWAY Express network.

"The YXE railway line is not only a freight transport line, but also a bridge of friendship between the people of two sides." Mao Wenjin, chairman of Yiwu Spanish Exchange Foundation, said. The Yiwu Spanish Exchange Foundation will sponsor the "Global Youth Entrepreneurship Training" program for Spanish youth in Yiwu in 2019, hoping to build a bridge between China and the West in terms of economy, trade, culture and education.

Through CHINA RAILWAY Express, Yiwu is gradually achieving "policy communication, road connectivity, unimpeded trade, currency circulation and popular support" with countries along the line. At present, Yiwu has established all-round cooperation with Madrid, Barcelona and other regions and cities, and held a series of international exchange activities such as China (Yiwu) silk road economic belt city international BBS, China's Nordic youth leader BBS, as well as more than 100 cultural exchanges and non-governmental diplomatic activities.