Feature: A freight train route fostering China-Spain trade, friendship

MADRID, July 23 (Xinhua) -- As a major line of the China-Europe freight train service, the railway route between the eastern Chinese city of Yiwu and the Spanish capital city of Madrid spans 13,052 km, making it one of the longest freight train lines in the world.

Also dubbed the Yixin'ou (YXE), the railway traverses eight countries and from its axis, additional lines branch out, connecting 160 cities across more than 50 countries in Europe and Asia. It takes more than 60 drivers from China and other countries, working in relays, to complete a one-way trip.

With improved logistics efficiency provided by the train service, Spanish red wine, olive oil and ham, as well as Chinese staples, mechanical appliances and other equipment have made easier access to each other's markets.

Spanish traders and officials have praised the freight train service as not only a trade route but also a bridge for fostering friendship and cultural exchanges.

May 8 marks its 10th anniversary with a ceremony held at the Abronigal railway logistics terminal in Madrid. A train with 70 containers loaded with auto parts, red wine and other goods departed the station to commemorate the anniversary.

An exhibition on the railway line's history was also opened at Abronigal, recounting stories of beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

One of the stories is about Yiwu-based Jesus Garcia, who has been selling red wine, ham and other Spanish specialties through e-commerce livestreaming. He started his business 10 years ago when he arrived in Yiwu.

Thanks to the YXE freight train route, the annual sales of Garcia's company gradually increased from the initial two or three containers to 60 or even 70.

There are currently more than 18,000 Chinese bazaars in Spain, with over 60 percent of their products coming from Yiwu, a city known as the "world's supermarket."

When it comes to promoting commercial exchanges, the YXE freight train is "very important," the Spanish Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, said in an interview with Xinhua in May.

The BRI "is an excellent initiative from a logistical point of view," Planas said, praising it as friendly to the environment. "Rail transport is more advantageous than maritime transport or air transport in terms of emissions," he added.

Alicia Varela, director general for International Trade and Investment of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, thanked those for their efforts to keep the YXE route open and competitive, and for working to cut delivery time and facilitate the freight train operations.

She said at the YXE's 10th-anniversary ceremony that the freight train service means much more than a simple railway connection; it is a symbol of cooperation and friendship between Spain and China, and "it has managed to overcome many challenges" especially during the past few years given the world's geopolitical situation.

In 2023, Spain exported 39 million euros (about 42 million U.S. dollars) worth of goods through this freight train service, mainly mechanical appliances, perfumery oil, rubber products and automobiles, and imported 48 million euros worth of products, mainly electrical appliances and equipment, chemical products and clothing, Varela added.