Germany and China strengthen rail industry ties

14.12.2005

CHINESE RAIL OPERATOR OPENS OFFICES IN BERLIN

On December 14, 2005 China's national rail operator opened its European representation in Berlin.

The offices are the outcome of an agreement over closer cooperation in the railway sector between Germany and the People's Republic of China. The agreement was signed in Beijing June 6, 2005 by the then German Transport Minister Manfred Stolpe and his Chinese counterpart, Liu Zhijun.

As the official representation for the Chinese rail ministry in Europe, the offices will primarily be responsible for coordinating economic, technical and staff-related cooperation between China's railways and rail operators in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. Another key aim will be to improve container transportation between China and Europe.

Berlin's Senator for Economics, Labor and Women's Affairs says of the move, "I am extremely pleased that the Chinese railway has chosen to become involved in our city. The opening of these offices marks a further milestone in the close and long-established collaboration between Berlin and China. With some 18,000 people working in research and production, the Berlin-Brandenburg region is one of Europe's leading industrial locations for railway traffic technology, offering our Chinese partners an ideal springboard for further cooperation. The companies in the region will also benefit in a similar fashion."

The settlement of the representative office in Berlin was supported jointly by Berlin Partner GmbH and the Berlin Department for Economics, Labor and Women's Affairs. Berlin Partner Managing Director Roland Engels says, "The offices in the district of Mitte will give companies in Berlin and Brandenburg as well as research establishments in the rail industry an excellent opportunity to make contact to potential partners in China, and thus gain access to one of Asia's fastest growing markets."

China's railway network presently has 73,000 kilometers of track, though this is to be expanded to 100,000 kilometers by the year 2020. An annual 2.3 billion tons of freight are transported over an average distance of 1000 kilometers across the network, as are more than a billion passengers. Nine new high-speed rail lines for passenger trains are currently under construction. Companies from Germany and other European countries are assisting China in planning, constructing and equipping these lines. 

Contact:
Chinese Railways Representative Office in Europe
Maerkisches Ufer 28
10179 Berlin, Germany
Tel.: +49 30 2345 8710
Fax.: +49 30 2478 1332