Eurasian Land Bridge

The first train carrying export goods from Turkey to China departed from Istanbul on Dec. 4, said the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The train "will follow the Trans Caspian East-West Middle Corridor via Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, covering 8,693 kms, passing two continents, two seas, five countries and forwarding its freight to China in 12 days," according to the ministry statement.

Bulgaria could become a bridge for Chinese cargo and open the "New Silk Road"(One Belt One Road Initiative) to Central and Western Europe, said Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski in response to a question on the Trans-Caspian transport corridor, reports Bgnes.

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region will run more westbound trains on China-Europe routes in 2017 to boost exports, Xinhua reported on Jan. 6. 

The Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜS?AD) was one of the first pioneering institutions that started closely monitoring China. During the presidency of Arzuhan Do?an Yalç?nda? in 2007, when TÜS?AD opened an office in Beijing, I remember there were opponents arguing this was not needed.

Bulgaria and China have signed an educational exchange agreement to fully tap into the development potential of that specific sector of bilateral relations, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia said on Thursday.

Further negotiations on issues including geopolitics, technological standards and funding are needed for a high-speed railway China is planning between the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Eastern Europe, according to experts who were interviewed by China Daily.