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CEE leaders invited to China take bullet train ride
Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-11-26 0:48:31
Leaders from Central and Eastern European (CEE) nations took a ride on a China-made bullet train on Wednesday from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province to Shanghai, at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
The train ride is a showcase of China-CEE cooperation, which features not only high speeds but also comfort and reassurance, Li said on Tuesday during an annual China-CEE summit meeting in Suzhou.
China has actively sought to export its high-speed rail technology in recent years, with media referring to the premier as the country's top railway salesman.
Li's invitation came minutes after China signed two separate deals with Hungary and Serbia on Tuesday on the construction of a rail link between the Serbian and Hungarian capitals.
Details of the two deals were not immediately available, but Li had pledged earlier that construction work on the railway would begin by the end of the year and will be completed within two years.
Earlier reports said the high-speed rail link could cut travel time between Budapest and Belgrade by more than half.
Once complete, the railway will help create a fast lane for trade between China and Europe.
"The railway not only connects Serbia with Hungary, it also links with the rail network in southern Europe," Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday.
Bilateral trade between China and the 16 CEE countries reached over $60 in 2014 amid sluggish global economic growth, indicating tremendous trade and investment potential, Li said.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (central) and leaders from Central and Eastern European (CEE) nations take a ride on a China-made bullet train on Wednesday from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province to Shanghai, a showcase of China-CEE cooperation. Photo: Xinhua
The train ride is a showcase of China-CEE cooperation, which features not only high speeds but also comfort and reassurance, Li said on Tuesday during an annual China-CEE summit meeting in Suzhou.
China has actively sought to export its high-speed rail technology in recent years, with media referring to the premier as the country's top railway salesman.
Li's invitation came minutes after China signed two separate deals with Hungary and Serbia on Tuesday on the construction of a rail link between the Serbian and Hungarian capitals.
Details of the two deals were not immediately available, but Li had pledged earlier that construction work on the railway would begin by the end of the year and will be completed within two years.
Earlier reports said the high-speed rail link could cut travel time between Budapest and Belgrade by more than half.
Once complete, the railway will help create a fast lane for trade between China and Europe.
"The railway not only connects Serbia with Hungary, it also links with the rail network in southern Europe," Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday.
Bilateral trade between China and the 16 CEE countries reached over $60 in 2014 amid sluggish global economic growth, indicating tremendous trade and investment potential, Li said.