China-Europe freight trains on full timetables surpass 1,000 trips

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A freight train loaded with auto components, LED monitors and other goods on Saturday departed from Xi'an, a city in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, bound for Duisburg in Germany, marking a significant milestone as the number of China-Europe freight trains operating on full timetables has now exceeded 1,000.   The full timetable service, first launched in October 2022, enables China-Europe freight trains to run according to pre-arranged schedules, including designated train numbers, routes, departure times and arrival times across countries along the route.   To date, the number of routes operating under fixed timetables has expanded to 11, featuring 17 trains running on a regular weekly schedule. With more fixed timetable trains added to the schedule, the China-Europe Railway Express is expected to deliver its cargo with even greater reliability.   This service has also become a preferred option for transporting high-value-added goods, including photovoltaic panels, solar modules and marine diesel engine parts. Notably, the average value per container transported by these trains is approximately 41 percent higher than that of other services, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.   "We have formulated operating procedures for full timetable freight trains, rigorously reviewing and processing their transportation needs, and we work closely with our branches outside the border to make proper arrangements," said Yu Xiaohong, a staff member at a Xi'an freight railway station under the China Railway Group.   Currently, over 98,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo have been transported via full timetable China-Europe freight trains, the company said.   China-Europe freight trains have evolved into a cornerstone of the Belt and Road Initiative -- promoting trade and connectivity between Europe and Asia. At present, a total of 128 Chinese cities have launched China-Europe freight train services, reaching 229 cities in 26 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.

China-Europe freight trains on full timetables surpass 1,000 trips

The multilateral system is "under attack" amid global turmoil, President of the 80th UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock warned in her remarks on Wednesday.

In her briefing on the priorities for the resumed 80th Session of the General Assembly, the UNGA president noted that the current multilateral system does not collapse all in a sudden, but "crumbles piece by piece" in divisions, compromises, and lack of political commitment.

The president called all the UN member states to defend the UN Charter and international law and promote cross-regional cooperation.

She also urged to push forward the work of the UNGA on certain critical issues with a strong majority, rather than an absolute consensus among all member states. Such act is not a failure of multilateralism, but "an affirmation of it," she said.

The foundational principles of the institution should not be eroded by appeasement, she said, calling the member states to show courage, leadership, and responsibility at the UN's "critical make-or-break moment."

"The UN needs you. Your support, your leadership, your principle, stand, your cross-regional cooperation, if we are to preserve and modernize this institution, if we are to make it, rather than break it," she said.

UNGA President warns global multilateral system "under attack"