Silk Road Journey

Source: The Hindu
GS II: International relation

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. Facts on the Silk Road Journey

Why in the News?

The first-ever freight train from Britain to China, laden with whisky, soft drinks and baby products, started its mammoth journey along a modern-day Silk Road trade route.

News in Brief

• Started from Britain to China along a modern-day “Silk Road” trade route.

  

• The 32-container train, around 600 metres long, left from the vast London Gateway container port on the River Thames estuary, bound for Yiwu on the Chinese east coast.
• Left from London Gateway container port on the River Thames estuary for Yiwu on the Chinese east coast.
• It will take the 18-day, 12,000-kilometre journey and will cement a new golden age of trade between the two countries as the U.K. leaves the European Union.

Facts on the Silk Road Journey

Key Components

1. Silk Road Economic Belt: Land routes connecting China to Europe through Central Asia.
2. 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Sea routes linking China to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.
3. Digital Silk Road: Enhancing digital connectivity through investments in telecommunications and technology infrastructure.

From China

• The first train from China to Britain arrived on January 18
• Filled with clothes and other retail goods,

How it Helpful

• The rail route is cheaper than air freight and faster than sea freight,
• It will offer logistics companies a new middle option.
• The third kind of connectivity after Air and Sea.
• Economic Growth: Stimulating trade and investment among participating countries.
• Infrastructure Development: Building and upgrading transport, energy, and communication networks.
• Cultural Exchange: Promoting cultural and people-to-people ties to foster mutual understanding and cooperation.

Journey Through 

• The train will go through the Channel Tunnel before travelling across France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan before heading into China.

Technical Changes

• The containers will be taken off and put on different wagons at the Belarus border, as the former Soviet Union countries use a wider rail gauge.
• The containers switch back to standard gauge rails at the Chinese border, an operation that typically takes around two hours.

What are the challenges?

• Debt Sustainability: Concerns over the financial viability of projects and the debt burden on participating countries.
• Geopolitical Tensions: Strategic rivalries and political instability in some regions pose risks to the initiative.
• Environmental Impact: Infrastructure projects can have significant environmental consequences, including habitat destruction and pollution.

Some Projects and Investments

• China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC): A collection of infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity and economic cooperation between China and Pakistan.
• Khorgos Gateway: A dry port on the China-Kazakhstan border that facilitates the transshipment of goods between China and Europe.
• Gwadar Port: Located in Pakistan, this port is being developed to serve as a major hub for maritime trade in the region.

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