Belt and Road joins hands with Yangtze River (2)

(Photo/Xinhua)

In December last year, a China-Europe train carrying goods from Chongqing and other areas along the Yangtze departed for Germany's Duisburg. Not long ago, a China-Europe train transporting goods from Germany arrived in Chongqing's Guoyuan Port, where the goods were distributed to mega-cities along the lower reaches of the Yangtze, like Wuhan and Shanghai. More such trains are being mulled, authorities said.

In a bonded display and trading center in Chongqing, about 45,000 commodities from more than 40 countries along the Belt and Road, including Russia, Italy and France, can be found. The goods were transported to the city via China-Europe trains, by the Yangtze waterway or by air.

"Time-sensitive products like sea cucumbers and honey can be transported by the China-Europe trains, while products like sunflower seed oil can be carried by the slower yet more economical waterway," said Liu Xiaomin, who is in charge of the Russian pavilion at the center, referring to the combination of the various transportation means.

Akos Kovacs, the Hungarian businessman, said the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt will greatly help consume the excessive agricultural produce like apples in his country.

These days, more localities in China are cashing in on the synergistic effect of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt to ramp up businesses. For instance, authorities in central China's Hubei Province are planning to build a hub to connect the Belt and Road and the middle reaches of the Yangtze.

"There will be more development space between the initiative and the economic belt," said Li Jing, with Chongqing Technology and Business University. "There will be more golden opportunities."