17.11.2017 / The Belt and Road Initiative has connected a train service between the Chinese city of Dalian and Bratislava the capital city of Slovakia

After traveling for 17 days through Central Europe via Russia and Ukraine a train loaded with 41 containers worth over US$ 3 million reached its end of the line – the cargo port of Bratislava. This occasion happened on November 13th 2017. This is part of the Chinese ambition to boost trade between itself and the CEE countries. This transportation scheme is the start of a new weekly service that will increase to twice a week in the second half of 2018. The Chinese Communications-Transport Association has estimated that next year 500 trains will travel along the 11,000 kilometer route. The port of Bratislava is a major port on the Danube River which is a key, waterway route that stretches throughout Central and Eastern Europe passing through 10 countries as it empties into the Black Sea. The merger of these two trade routes forges another link in the China – Europe supply chain. From 2020 China plans to dispatch up to 5,000 transport trains through the China – Europe route 2,000 of which might cross Slovakia.