As the China-Europe Railway Express service from Guangdong surpasses its 1000th journey since its inaugural run in 2016, a wave of "Made in Guangdong" products is riding the momentum across the vast Eurasian continent. With its prominent sea and air cargo volumes, Guangdong aims to harness the potential of the China-Europe railway Express to bolster its global trade endeavors. Dr. Mao Yanhua, Dean of the Institute of Regional Openness and Collaboration at Sun Yat-sen University, sheds light on this strategic move.

According to Dr. Mao Yanhua, China-Europe Railway Express offer unmatched advantages over traditional sea and air transport, including rapid delivery, cost-effectiveness, and heightened safety. "These trains transform production sites into export hubs, enabling local customs clearance and container loading without the need for multiple intermodal transports or domestic rail transfers. By optimizing routes, goods can be transported "point-to-point" from source to markets in Central Asia and Europe, saving costs associated with various transfers and expediting delivery," explains Dr. Mao Yanhua.

While domestic maritime and air transport capacities have returned to normal levels, China-Europe Railway Express continue to demonstrate growth potential.

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Dr. Mao Yanhua underscores their role in promoting high-quality development within the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, ensuring smooth trade flows with countries along the route. This service is an essential component of China"s efforts towards high-level international openness. The trains have also facilitated policy communication concerning infrastructure and regulatory alignment between China and Eurasian nations, capitalizing on economies of scale. As return trips and container load factors increase, the impact of China-Europe Railway Express on import expansion is set to become increasingly pronounced.

Regarding how China-Europe Railway Express can further facilitate Guangdong"s international expansion, Dr. Mao Yanhua suggests that the region should diversify its export markets by capitalizing on the trains" services. "While traditional maritime and air transport primarily connects coastal port cities, China-Europe Railway Express can help Guangdong reach emerging markets in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, enhancing the region"s outreach," she notes.

Dr. Mao Yanhua emphasizes that China-Europe Railway Express should be viewed not only as transport means but also as a catalyst for trade innovation. She proposes that Guangdong draw inspiration from the experience of inland cities like Xi"an, Chongqing, and Zhengzhou, integrating trade and transport seamlessly. By leveraging the China-Europe Railway Express, Guangdong could effectively achieve interconnection between foreign trade, foreign investment, outsourcing, foreign economic cooperation, and external knowledge transfer, providing tailored services to businesses seeking international expansion.

Specifically, Guangdong can capitalize on the synergy between the logistics corridor of China-Europe Railway Express and its industrial base. Initiatives such as enhancing collaboration between two regions" industries and strengthening storage and logistics facilities at destination stations can maximize the spill-over effects of the trains. This comprehensive approach would stimulate synchronized growth in the movement of goods, capital, and information, propelling Guangdong"s industrial upgrades and technological innovation through trade-led initiatives.

中山大学区域开放与合作研究院院长毛艳华：广东要借中欧班列打好“五外联动”组合拳

自2016年开出首趟中欧班列起，广东中欧班列累计发运量已突破1000列大关。如今，在广袤的亚欧大陆，一股“广东造”出海潮乘势而兴。海港空港货运量名列前茅的广东，如何借力中欧班列，更好地服务于“广东造”出海？对此，中山大学区域开放与合作研究院院长毛艳华进行了解读。

在毛艳华看来，除了时间快、成本低、运输安全高效外，中欧班列的“点对点”运输优势是海运、空运难以比拟的。“中欧班列让货物生产地成为直接出口地，实现在本地报关装箱，不用通过各种联运或内贸铁路运输环节。同时，通过线路的加密，货物能够从货源地到中亚、欧洲市场的‘点对点’运输，节省了反复转运的成本，也有利于加快运输时效。”毛艳华说。

当前，国内海运、空运的运力已恢复至常态化水平，中欧班列如何延续增长势头，并跑出差异化发展道路？

毛艳华分析称，中欧班列未来仍然大有可为，对推动共建“一带一路”高质量发展、保障与沿线国家和地区的贸易畅通发挥着很大的作用，是中国高水平对外开放的重要内容；开通以来，中欧班列促进了中国与欧亚国家在设施硬联通、规则软对接方面的政策沟通，设施规则的不断完善也有利于进一步发挥班列的规模经济效应；随着回程班列增多、重箱率提高，中欧班列对扩大进口的影响将逐渐凸显。

谈及中欧班列如何更好地推动“广东造”出海，毛艳华表示，广东要借中欧班列的开行，构建多元化出口市场结构。“传统的海运、空运，贸易对象更多是在沿海港口城市，中欧班列能够帮助广东提高对中亚、东欧等新兴市场的辐射能力，帮助广东企业拓展这些区域的市场。”毛艳华说。

“不能把中欧班列仅仅视为一个运输工具，而是要与贸易的业态创新结合起来。”毛艳华提到，广东可以向西安、重庆、郑州等内陆城市借鉴中欧班列运贸一体化的经验，借中欧班列打好“五外联动”组合拳，为企业“走出去”拓展市场提供贴身服务。

具体来说，广东要把中欧班列的物流通道和生产基地的优势结合起来，开展两地产业的投资与合作，如借助“点对点”运输优势，在目的地站点加强货栈、物流基地的建设，充分发挥中欧班列的外溢效应，带动货物流、资金流、信息流的联动发展，进而以贸易带动广东的产业升级和技术创新。(更多新闻资讯，请关注羊城派 pai.ycwb.com)

文丨羊城晚报全媒体记者 黄婷翻译丨刘佳慧来源丨羊城晚报·羊城派责编丨古司祺校对丨赵丹丹