According to a recent article published on the website of Russia's Strategic Culture Foundation, china-Europe freight trains have brought trade and ties between China and Europe closer. Driven by the huge consumer market in China, the number of China-Europe express trains has increased and expanded in recent years, creating more jobs, improving infrastructure and injecting new life into the European cities along the route.

Six years ago, there were only two trains a day to Europe, but by 2020 there had been 12,406, the article said. In the first half of this year, 7,377 china-Europe freight trains traveled. Today, this "silk thread" connects Germany with 50 Chinese cities and passes through 168 cities in 23 Countries in Asia and Europe.

The article points out that from The Pacific coast of China to the Atlantic ocean, the route between China and Europe is more economical and faster than other routes. A freight train from Ghent, Belgium, can transport 200 Volvo cars to Xi 'an, China, in 16 days, or 40 days by sea.

The article said the rapid development of China-Europe express trains has affected the role played by the cities where they stop in the regional economy. The smaller, more remote cities focused on logistics, while the larger cities gained growth, creating jobs and improving living standards.

The article points out that Duisburg, Germany, used to be the center of the local steel industry and coal mining, but due to the adjustment of industrial policies and other factors, a large number of unemployment. However, as the city is located at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers, it is an important hub, and has been greatly developed since the china-Europe freight train connection. Today, four-fifths of the freight trains arriving in Duisburg each day come from China, carrying goods by water and land across Europe. About 50,000 people work in related businesses, accounting for 15 percent of the city's working population. More than 100 Chinese companies have opened branches here. An ordinary river port city has developed into an influential comprehensive intercontinental logistics center.

The article argues that Europe has benefited from China's status as the world's largest consumer market, consuming 23% of global goods. The china-Europe freight trains have not only promoted trade between China and Europe, but also created more jobs for Europeans and helped Europeans understand China better, thus bringing China and Europe closer together.