A forum focusing on the China Railway Express development in Yangtze River Delta and the Belt and Road Initiative construction take place in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province on Nov 14. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A forum focusing on the China Railway Express (CR Express) development in Yangtze River Delta and the Belt and Road Initiative construction was held in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province on Nov 14.

More than 240 guests attended the event, including officials at consulate generals from countries involved in the Belt and Road, such as the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Poland and Britain and overseas Zhejiang entrepreneurs. 

As a part of the fifth World Zhejiang Entrepreneurs Convention, the event aims to accelerate the Belt and Road Initiative construction and deepen economic and trade cooperation with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. 

During the forum, the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province and the China International Freight Forwarders Association signed a memorandum of understanding in an effort to promote the high-quality development of China CR Express in the Yangtze River Delta.

The CR Express Cooperation Framework Agreement in the Yangtze River Delta and an agreement on Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe train cooperation were also inked by participants.

The Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province and the China International Freight Forwarders Association signs a memorandum of understanding on Nov 15 to jointly promote the development of China Railway Express (CR Express) in the Yangtze River Delta. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Since the first China-Europe freight train was launched in 2011, the number of trains has grown at an average annual rate of over 100 percent. As of September 2019, 18,200 freight trains had been launched, delivering 1.57 million teus of goods, to more than 110 countries in Eurasian area.

Li Zhimin, deputy director of China International Freight Forwarders Association, noted that Yangtze River Delta region is an important source of China-Europe freight trains. 

More than 70 percent of goods transported on YXE trains come from Zhejiang province. Li expressed hopes of strengthening cooperation with Zhejiang province to promote the development of CR Express in the Yangtze River Delta.

Sheng Qiuping, director of the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang province, delivers a keynote speech at the forum on Nov 14. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Sheng Qiuping, director of the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang province, delivered a keynote speech at the forum and stressed the role that Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe train service play in supporting the development of CR Express in Yangtze River Delta.

The Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe train service, which made its maiden journey from Yiwu to Madrid, Spain in 2014, now travels along nine international routes to over 30 countries.

Four branches and five logistics distribution centers have been set up along the route, covering more than 30 countries and regions in Eurasia.

The provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Delta are expected to jointly build a healthy market environment, promote mutual exchanges and strengthen talent pool to drive high-quality and sustainable development of the CR Express in the Yangtze River Delta, Sheng added.

The forum was jointly hosted by the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, China International Freight Forwarders Association and Zhejiang Federation of Industry and Commerce.