China-Europe Railway Express: The Establishment of the New Euro-Asia Link

Since China proposed the “Belt & Road” initiative (BRI) in 2013, it has been committed to strengthening cooperation with countries along the route and establishing interconnected and economically win-win situation. The traditional logistics corridors between Asia and Europe mainly include sea freight corridors, air freight corridors, and road transportation corridors. China regards railway transportation the “China-Europe Railway Express” as a key infrastructure, by using the Eurasian intercontinental railway network, for promoting the transcontinental transportation and logistics between China and Europe. Under the context of economic globalization and regional economic integration, more countries are complementing each other's advantages through regional economic cooperation to enhance the respective economic development levels. From geopolitical perspective, the “China-Europe Railway Express” can be considered as an Expression of the ambitious for promoting the BRI, to encourage more economical and commercial cooperation among countries along the railway. This study aims to solve the following research questions: (1) What is the relationship between transportation development and regional economic and trade cooperation; (2) How does transportation development impact regional cooperation between China and Europe; (3) What are the solutions to regional cooperation disputes caused by transportation. This study takes the China-Europe Express as an example, by analyzing its development history, economic impact, and risks, in an attempt to identify the long-term mode of cooperation between transportation and regional economic and trade. The study generated the following conclusions: (a) The development of transportation plays a crucial role in promoting regional economic and trade cooperation; (b) For regional cooperation between China and Europe, the China-Europe freight trains have strengthened the economic and trade cooperation between the two sides, promoting investment and economic growth; (c) Strengthening transport coordination, developing uniform transportation standards and regulations, optimizing transport routes, and improving operational efficiency are effective ways to avoid risks and resolve regional cooperation disputes.