China has become the 70th country to ratify the United Nation's Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) Convention, the global standard for international freight customs transit.

The application of the TIR system will provide China with the opportunity to unify its exports under a single, simplified transit procedure to EU countries for all modes of transport. Chinese freight containers will travel all the way to Ireland without being opened for customs checks. The international guarantee scheme is a first step toward putting the legal framework of the Belt and Road Initiative into action.

"China’s accession to the TIR Convention will open new, efficient and faster transport opportunities and transport routes between China and Europe. It can become a real game changer for international trade and is a strong contribution to the Chinese vision for 'One Road, One Belt,'" said United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) executive secretary Christian Friis Bach.

China's accession to TIR is closely related to the country's promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative, said Zhang Guihong, executive dean of the U.N. Studies Center of Fudan University, in an interview with thepaper.cn.

Delivering his keynote speech at the Boao Asia Forum on March 29, 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed that the "One Belt, One Road" project is to generate over $2.5 trillion in trade within 10 years.

The average travel period for Chinese freight containers from China to Europe will be shortened from the current 28 days to just one or two weeks, said UNECE spokesperson, Jean Rodriguez.

The United Nations Secretary-General has confirmed that the TIR Convention will come into effect in China on Jan. 5, 2017.