On the Way to China (II): London, Britain

In 2011, the China-Europe freight train service went into operation. Faster than a ship and cheaper than a plane, it ushered in a new era for rail freight and the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative two years later put it on a fast track to development. Seen as a "Belt and Road on rails," the service gave a new energy to the efforts to revive the ancient trading Silk Road route.

The China-Britain Freight Train service is one of the network's newest and longest routes. The first train arrived in London in January 2017, after a 12,000-mile journey from Yiwu, China's wholesale center for small consumer goods. The return trip in April saw the train depart London carrying machinery, whisky, and health products. It made its way through France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan before reaching its destination in China.

Observers say the rail link will add to the already thriving bilateral trade between Britain and China. Britain's exports of goods to China are worth an estimated 20 billion pounds. The rail link provides new opportunities for small businesses in Britain eager to tap into the market potential of the world's second-largest economy. They also say the link will help to spur the trade in high-tech goods and service trade between the two countries, adding a new dimension to their bilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.