China’s new 50-foot containers unlikely to be used on Silk Road
China has started using 50-foot containers for rail freight transportation. Currently, this is the largest container size in the Chinese logistic market, weighing 36 tonnes. Compared to the 40-foot container, the 50-foot container has a...Read more
Italian Deputy Prime Minister says Parliament is keen on leaving BRI
Antonio Tajani, the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, claimed that “the large part of the Italian Parliament is in favour of withdrawing” from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He added...Read more
Free Webinar: It’s time to talk about this year’s Silk Road
This year is certainly not easy for rail freight forwarders focusing on transportation between China and Europe. The northern route crossing Russia becomes even more complicated as the sanctions tighten. Meanwhile, the demand from Europe...Read more
G20 confirms US and EU ambitions for major new Eurasian corridor
The recent G20 summit in India functioned as a platform to unfold the ambitious plans of a new economic and transport corridor in the context of the G7-EU-led Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment initiative....Read more
Italy: Government and industry might not be on the same page on BRI
The situation concerning Italy and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is getting hotter as the deadline to make a decision approaches. Over the weekend, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said that...Read more
‘BRI adhesion does bring economic advantages for Italy’
The narrative surrounding Italy’s adhesion to the Belt and Road Initiative insists that it did not bring significant advantages for the country, since China did not significantly increase its investments there. However, the initiative did...Read more
Will Italy announce BRI exit this week?
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet US President Joe Biden in the White House on Thursday 27 July. One of the topics that will be discussed will be “closer transatlantic coordination regarding the People’s...Read more
Pakistan on track to become the new Persian Gulf gateway via rail
ANALYSISThe race to acquire a place in global supply chains is intensifying, and Pakistan seems committed to getting a good position. The South Asian country is on track to launch two railway projects, which are...Read more
Sanctions on China amidst Taiwan crisis: the next logistics puzzle to solve?
INTERVIEWWhat would happen in the case of an escalated Taiwan crisis? Would the West impose sanctions on China just like it did on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine? And how would such a development...Read more
‘Italy and China can have a solid relationship even without the BRI’
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Italy and China can have a great relationship even if the agreement for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not renewed. In addition, Meloni claimed that she...Read more
US-China competition increases in Africa with rail in its epicentre
ANALYSISA more cautious Chinese policy for rail infrastructure investments in Africa and a rebound interest in them by the US might see the two states racing each other to build rail links and secure the...Read more
When rail turns into leverage: U.S. ramps up international investments
ANALYSISFor years, China has been the leading investor in many countries in the context of the BRI, which sees cash flows in foreign markets primarily taking the form of rail and infrastructure investments. The EU...Read more
Argentina turns to China for rolling stock, railway building and investments in Yuan
The Argentinian transport ministry strives to secure Chinese investments in passenger and freight wagons and commence railway infrastructure works worth 862 million US dollars. At the same time, Argentina seeks ways to enable direct Chinese...Read more
BRI and Central Asia: this is what the region has to offer
At the same time G7 leaders stressed the danger of the growing dominance of China in the world at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, China hosted the first-ever China-Central Asia summit in Xi’an, nurturing the...Read more
Kazakhstan Railways to work together with Shandong Port on New Silk Road
The Kazakh railway company KTZ and the new rising star on the BRI Shandong Port will work together in developing multimodal transport services and electronic services on the New Silk Road. In doing so, it...Read more
What’s the future for the China-Italy relationship?
Wang Yi, head of diplomacy of the Communist Party of China, will visit Italy to try to smooth Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s edges and renew the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019. The relationship...Read more
Chinese New Year aftermath; why it will be different this year
It is well known that Chinese New Year, the biggest festivity of the year in the country, creates a certain level of turbulence in the supply chain. This year however, it is coupled with an...Read more
China supplies Pakistan with 70 freight wagons after friction resolves
State-owned Pakistan Railways received 70 new freight wagons supplied by China. The state-of-the-art wagons arrived in Karachi on Monday, 16 January. This is the first batch of China-supplied wagons this year, as Pakistan Railways expect...Read more
Ease of COVID rules in China good news for New Silk Road
China has announced a nationwide ease of the strict COVID policy for the first time in three years. What does this policy shift mean for the rail freight industry? What impact have lockdowns had on...Read more