Zhengzhou on the Economic Silk Road

Following the announcement of a project to connect the economic belt of China and Central Asia on the traces of the ancient Silk Road, Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province, has ambitions to become a major logistics hub in the region. The local authorities boast of the numerous connections linking the city with other cities of the countries – besides Beijing, Zhengzhou is connected with Changsha, Xian and Wuhan, and, since July 2013, is the departure point of a cargo train line bound for Hamburg, Germany, and which passes through 12 European countries. The city also plays a key role in the creation of the Central Plains economic zone which since 2012 has led the government to significantly invest in the logistics industry. Launched last September by Xi Jinping during a visit in Kazakhstan, the Silk Road Economic Belt has from then on triggered the interest of many localities along the new Silk Road route, the latter seeking to develop their industrial sector by participating in the project. For more details see: South China Morning Post