□ Article/ Journalist Xiong YI Tr. by Huang Shiya

Opening the “Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia” Special Train Takes Only 12 Days from Chongqing to Russia A Fruitful Result from the “China-Russia Two River Area” Conference Held in Chongqing in 2014

□ Article/ Journalist Xiong YI Tr. by Huang Shiya

On November 11, 2014, with a long sound of siren, the freight train of “Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia”, which starts from Chongqing and exits at Manzhouli port of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to Russia, was officially opened. It means that “Made in China” has opened a new channel to Russia and Europe through the China Railway Express.Before that, Chongqing’s goods to Russia were mostly shipped by sea and air. It is the fi rst time for the“Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia” freight train to deliver goods from Chongqing to Russia directly after the operation of China Railway Express (Chongqing). At the same time, it has created a precedent in mainland China to send goods to Russia in a container special train model, unveiling the Russia special train of China-Russia logistics corridor in China Railway Express.

However, it is rarely known that the opening of the “Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia” special train is inseparable from the major international conference between China and Russia held in Chongqing.

On February 24 to 26, 2014, the first joint working group meeting of the Upper and Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River of China and the Federal District along the Volga River Bank of Russia (hereinafter referred to as China-Russia Two River Area) was held in Chongqing. It was organized by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, and hosted by the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government.Both sides jointly worked out a roadmap of the list of economic and trade investment projects in two regions and the cooperation in the humanities.

The upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River of China include fi ve provinces, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan,Jiangxi and Sichuan, and a municipality, Chongqing.The first joint working group meeting between the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River of China and the Volga Federal District of Russia was held in Chongqing, because Chongqing plays an important role in the China Western Development,and as an intersection in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Silk Road Economic Belt, as well as has a good foundation and prospect for the cooperation with Russia. In particular, the China Railway Express(Chongqing), which have been opened with the support of the multinational upper level government, made Yangtze river and Volga river, separated by mountains and rivers, from “distant relatives” to “close neighbors”.In 2011, Chongqing opened the Chongqing-Sinkiang-Europe International Railway (now known as the “New Silk Road”), which is now the China Railway Express.For the China-Russia Two River Area, China Railway Express (Chongqing) starts from Chongqing, the city in the upstream of the Yangtze River Economic Belt,through places such as Orenburg of the Federal District along the Volga River Bank, laying a solid foundation for the cooperation of China-Russia Two River Area,and taking a well-placed situation in the cooperation between Chongqing and the Volga River Federal District of Russia.

At this meeting, the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government carried out 40 key projects in response to the 42 cooperation issues proposed by Russia,covering areas such as humanities, trade and commerce, enterprises mutual investment and manufacturing industries. Among them, the focus has been put on the joint opening of the “Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia” special train by China Railway Express (Chongqing). “Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia”special train can reach all the destinations of Russia with the entire running time of 12 days, saving several days compared with the traditional water road. On the basis of environmental protection and safety, it also has increased the effectiveness.

It can be said that, “Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia”special train has rewritten the history of goods shipped to Russia from China mainly through sea and air. It further attracts and gathers the goods in the southwest, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta,Hong Kong and other regions for the internal. It is of positive significance for Chongqing to make inland open highland. For the external, it further enriches the connotation of China Railway Express (Chongqing),constantly lends a new impetus to the New Silk Road Economic Belt construction to make the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River of China and the Volga Federal District of Russia closely linked together. Its radiation effects were increasing emerges and played a positive role in promoting bilateral cooperation.