Reference News Network, September 21 report - According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post website, September 19 report, Chinese shipping companies are accelerating their exploration of the Arctic route, aiming to open up new channels that bypass traditional shipping bottlenecks and shorten the time for transporting goods between China and Europe. With the ongoing China-US tariff disputes, Europe has become an increasingly important export market for China.
According to the report, the "Istanbul Bridge" cargo ship of Haijie Shipping, a Chinese shipping company, recently set sail from Qingdao, Shandong. The company stated that the vessel is expected to arrive at Gdansk Port in Poland on October 16.
The report said that before arriving at Gdansk Port, the vessel will stop at the UK's largest container port, Felixstowe Port, the largest container port outside Asia, Rotterdam Port in the Netherlands, and Hamburg Port in Germany.
Haijie Shipping stated that the voyage from the last Chinese port of call, Ningbo, to Felixstowe Port is expected to take 18 days, which is faster than the China-Europe Railway Express and less than half the 40-day journey via the Suez Canal route.
The company pointed out that the freight cost of the Arctic route falls between the China-Europe Railway Express and traditional sea freight, targeting time-sensitive goods such as cross-border e-commerce packages, energy storage cabinets, and high-value-added products like battery power units.
According to another report by Russia's Sputnik News, during the regular press conference of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the 19th, a reporter from Sputnik News asked, according to reports, a cargo ship is planned to depart from Ningbo Port in China on September 20 to test a new route through the Northern Sea Route. What is the Foreign Ministry's comment on the role of the Northern Sea Route for China? What plans does China have for cooperation with Russia in this field?
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian stated that China is an important stakeholder in Arctic affairs and has always participated in Arctic affairs based on the basic principles of "respect, cooperation, win-win, and sustainability." China will strengthen cooperation with all parties to maintain peace and stability in the Arctic and promote sustainable development in the Arctic. He said that in recent years, the international community has paid more attention to the potential of the Arctic shipping route, and the Arctic shipping route has the potential to become an important route for international trade.
Lin Jian said that China is willing to work with countries along the Arctic Ocean, including Russia, as well as other interested countries, to enhance international cooperation in the construction and operation of Arctic shipping infrastructure, jointly promoting the development and utilization of the Arctic shipping route and environmental protection. (Translated by Yang Ke)
A cargo ship is moored at the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Xinhua News Agency photo)
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