Chongqing making fast tracks to Europe

Once-isolated metropolis developing into key trading hub

A new dimension to the burgeoning trade between China and Europe is the cargo now being carried overland through Central Asia to the world's second-largest economy.
At its fastest, the rail link between Chongqing and Duisburg, Germany, which opened in 2015, can transport goods along its 11,179 kilometers in 13 days. This is now a vital artery of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.
Trade between China and Central and Eastern European countries increased by 15.9 percent last year to $68 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Trade with Germany, China's biggest European economic partner, increased by 11 percent to $168 billion.
At the center of some of this increased trade with Europe is Chongqing, a municipality with a population of more than 30 million.
- Beijing prosecutors helping errant minors to get back on track
- Copyright Society of China wins approval to be observer of world intellectual property body
- China sets sights on greener, smarter, and more globally connected maritime future
- Protected bird Chinese pond-heron spotted in Chongqing
- Lotus transform wetland park in Chongqing into canvas of pink and green hues
- China hikes basic pension for retirees by 2% over last year