Riding the new silk road, by the East Wind

CHINA/BRITAIN: IT WAS once known as the Silk Road, the route along which trade first flourished between China and Europe, bringing silks, spices, Chinese porcelain and gunpowder from the east.

But yesterday the arrival of a freight train at Barking, east London, signalled a new chapter in the history of the centuries-old trading route.

The East Wind train pulled up at its destination at 1pm yesterday, after a 16- day journey, to become the first direct freight train linking China and Britain.

Its 34 wagons, carrying 68 containers loaded with household goods such as clothes, socks, suitcases, purses and wallets, travelled 12,000km - making it arguably the longest train journey in the world.

After setting out from the Chinese industrial city of Yiwu, the East Wind train crossed Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France before passing under the Channel and arriving at the London Eurorail freight hub, close to the Thames.

Waiting for the East Wind - by now garlanded with Union Flags and the red flag of the People’s Republic of China - were dozens of dignitaries from both countries, hoping the service will herald a

"We are confident that British manufacturers will want to take advantage of this new service to bring their goods to new markets in China." Oscar Lin, rail service UK agent

new era in Anglo-Chinese trade links.

Its arrival coincides with even greater emphasis being placed on Britain’s export business with the wider world after the Brexit vote.

However, the idea to launch the service has its origins in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ‘‘One Belt, One Road’’ strategy to connect Asia with Europe and Africa via the old Silk Road routes and increase the size of China’s already vast export market.

The train’s name is taken from Chairman Mao’s dictum: ‘‘The east wind will prevail over the west wind.’’

It is hoped that when the train makes its return journey from Barking to Yumi in a few weeks it will do so carrying British-made goods and produce, including cars, machinery and food items from around the UK.

Already on board ready to be exported to China are hams, cheeses and wines from Spain and beer from Germany.

Oscar Lin, manager of the service’s UK agent, said: ‘‘We are confident that British manufacturers will want to take advantage of this new service to bring their goods to new markets in China.’’

- Telegraph Group