First China-U.K. Freight Train Departs as Xi Seeks to Lift Trade
- London trip will span 18 days and more than 12,000 kilometers
- ‘Silk Road’ service to transit Asia, Europe and Channel Tunnel
London is the 15th city in Europe to be added to China’s freight train services to the continent.
Photographer: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
China initiated a rail-freight service to Britain as part of President Xi Jinping’s efforts to strengthen trade ties with Europe.
The first train departed Yiwu in eastern Zhejiang province on Jan. 1 and will cover more than 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) in about 18 days before reaching London, China Railway Corp. said in a statement Monday. The service, carrying garments, bags and suitcases among other items, will pass through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France.