A China-Europe freight train, loaded with goods for cross-border e-commerce business departed on Wednesday from Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province, marking the launch of the city's first dedicated China-Europe e-commerce express line.
The goods carried by the train include daily necessities produced in multiple cities of east China's Guangdong Province, such as clothing from Guangzhou, small home appliances from Foshan, and kitchenware from Zhongshan.
The train is set to exit China via Xinjiang's Horgos in the northwest of the country and arrive in Italy in 13 days.
This cargo route features advantages including short transit time and low costs, meeting the transportation needs of cross-border e-commerce business for small but frequent shipments and tight delivery schedules.
"Previously, our cross-border e-commerce goods were mainly transported to Europe via sea or air freight. Sea freight took over 30 days, while air freight was relatively expensive. Now, with the new China-Europe e-commerce freight train service, cross-border goods can reach Europe in just 13 days -- more than twice as fast as sea transport, and at only one-fifth of the cost of air freight," said Zhang Junmei, an executive of a logistics company.
Following the launch of this route, about 40 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cross-border e-commerce goods are expected to be exported weekly.
China adds another China-Europe freight train route for e-commerce goods
As China's national lawmakers and political advisors are gathering in Beijing for the annual meetings, foreign observers say that the meetings will not only set the course for China's future development, but also contribute to global economic growth.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, while the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's supreme organ of state power, is scheduled for Thursday.
These meetings serve both as a review of past achievements and as a strategic compass guiding the nation's future development, as China embarks on the inaugural year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period.
Marina Ragus, deputy speaker of Serbia's National Assembly, said that the meetings are important not only for China, but also for countries such as Serbia, which participates in the Belt and Road Initiative and is a part of a community of shared future with China.
"This is the first year of the 15th in a row five-year plan. What will be the significance of this is the kind of a road-map for China internally, but also globally. Not only that, if the main focal point of this five-year plan is quality, innovation, science, technology, that is kind of engine for the world's economy. We are part of the Belt and Road Initiative. We are part the community of shared future with China. So, for us as well, 'two sessions' are the most important event for a future to come," said Ragus.
Marcos Cordeiro Pires, a professor on the international political economy at Sao Paulo State University in Brazil, said that the 15th Five-year Plan is set to have far-reaching effects on the global economy.
"I would like to highlight two points [in the 15th Five-year Plan] that are of great importance for Brazil and other countries. The first is the priority placed on the green transition. The second concerns openness in global trade. China has become a new safe harbor at a time when some countries are adopting protectionist policies that hinder the integration of the world economy," said Pires.
As China's push for high-quality development is progressing steadily, international observers expect a stable and growing Chinese economy to inject more momentum and opportunities into the world economy.
Foreign observers say China's two sessions carry global significance
