Under the epidemic situation, why does trade with countries along the “Belt and Road” grow steadily?

Under the epidemic situation, why does trade with countries along the “Belt and Road” grow steadily?

2.5 trillion yuan in imports and exports, an increase of 21.4%, accounting for 29.5% of my country’s total foreign trade imports and exports-this is the trade situation between my country and countries along the “Belt and Road” in the first quarter. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, this number of imports and exports has maintained steady growth. 　　

Simultaneously with the steady recovery of foreign trade in the first quarter, my country’s trade growth with countries along the “Belt and Road” has also increased significantly: from an increase of 7.8% in the first quarter of 2019 and 3.2% in the first quarter of 2020, to a growth of more than 20% today.

“Excluding the impact of the annual low base, my country has achieved steady growth in trade with countries along the’Belt and Road’.” said Zhang Jianping, director of the Regional Economic Cooperation Research Center of the Ministry of Commerce Research Institute. Recover and pull.” 　　

Such achievements are hard-won. Despite the impact of the epidemic, my country’s trade growth with countries along the “Belt and Road” has not been compromised. Especially in the first quarter of last year, when my country’s total import and export value fell by 6.4% year-on-year, China’s import and export volume with countries along the route reached 2.07 trillion yuan, an increase of 3.2% year-on-year, which is 9.6 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate. It can be said that it has played an important role in supporting my country’s foreign trade.

“Under the impact of the epidemic on the global supply chain, my country’s trade with countries along the’Belt and Road’ has maintained steady growth. This is of great significance for promoting the diversification of my country’s market and stabilizing the basic trade of foreign trade, and it also makes an important contribution to the recovery of global trade.” Li Yong, deputy director of the Expert Committee of the China Society for International Trade, said. 　　

Under the epidemic situation, my country’s trade with countries along the “Belt and Road” has maintained steady growth, and even rapid growth for some countries. What does it mean? 　　

First of all, this is a manifestation of the resilience and vitality of the Chinese economy and strong supply and manufacturing capabilities. 　　

From the perspective of the export composition in the first quarter, exports of mechanical and electrical products accounted for over 60%, and mechanical and electrical products, textiles, etc. are also my country’s main exports to countries along the “Belt and Road”. Sustained and stable manufacturing and export capabilities are not only a manifestation of China’s effective epidemic prevention and control and sustained economic recovery and development, but also a confirmation of the irreplaceable status of “Made in China” in the global market. 　　

Secondly, China-Europe trains are operating in an orderly manner during the epidemic, which has played an indispensable role in maintaining the stability of the global industrial chain supply chain, including countries along the “Belt and Road”. 　　

Without the smooth flow of transportation and logistics, how can we talk about normal trade? Affected by the epidemic, although sea and air transportation have been blocked, the China-Europe Railway Express, known as the “steel camel”, still operates in an orderly manner, acting as the “main artery” of the global industrial chain and an important “lifeline” for epidemic prevention and control. 　　

Li Kuiwen, a spokesperson for the General Administration of Customs, pointed out that the China-Europe Railway Express plays an important role in promoting trade development with countries along the route. “In the first quarter, my country’s imports and exports to countries along the route increased by 64% by rail transportation.” 　　

Data shows that in the first quarter of this year, China-Europe trains opened 1,941 and sent 174,000 TEUs, up 15% and 18% year-on-year respectively. In 2020, the number of China-Europe express trains reached 12,400, a year-on-year increase of 50%. It can be said that the orderly operation of the China-Europe express train has provided an important guarantee for the growth of trade between my country and more countries along the “Belt and Road” route. 　　

Once again, my country’s continuous expansion of opening up and continuous expansion of trading partners have also become an important reason for the steady growth of my country’s trade with countries along the route. 　　

In the first quarter, my country achieved rapid growth in imports and exports to some countries along the route. Among them, it increased by 37.8%, 28.7%, and 32.2% for Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, and increased by 48.4%, 37.3%, 29.5%, and 41.7% for Poland, Turkey, Israel, and Ukraine.

It can be seen that in the 19 free trade agreements signed between my country and 26 countries and regions, a large part of its trading partners are from countries along the “Belt and Road”. In particular, ASEAN rose to become my country’s largest trading partner in one fell swoop last year. Played an important role in stabilizing foreign trade.

“China and the countries along the’Belt and Road’ have systematic cooperation, not only trade, but also a large amount of foreign investment, project contracting, etc., plus the holding of the International Expo, these have a strong driving effect on trade.” Zhang Jianping Say. 　　

In fact, in recent years, the growth rate of my country’s trade with countries along the route has generally been higher than the overall level of trade, but due to the impact of the epidemic, the growth rate has fluctuated to a certain extent. Looking forward to the future, Bai Ming, deputy director of the International Market Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, believes that with the gradual control of the epidemic, China’s continuous expansion of opening up, and a series of favorable policies, the prospects for economic and trade cooperation between my country and the countries along the “Belt and Road” are promising.