DUISBURG, Germany, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Germany's logistics hub Duisburg is enjoying more fresh opportunities brought by the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Ralf Meurer, managing director of Agency for Business Promotion Duisburg, said on Thursday in an interview with Xinhua.
Duisburg is a western city at the confluence of Germany's Rhine and the Ruhr, and often referred to as world's largest inland port. In recent years, the city has become better connected with China with more frequent freight trains, thus attracting more business, said Meurer.
Meurer said the starting point for Duisburg to benefit from the BRI was in 2014, when the Chinese officials paid a visit to Duisburg Intermodal Terminal, promoting the initiative.
"Afterwards, more and more Chinese cities, like Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi'an and plus our twin city Wuhan, has started regular cargo trains. This brings train companies, logistics companies, trade companies and many more to here," Mueller said.
The number of Chinese companies in Duisburg has increased from around 40 in 2014 to today's more than 120, according to statistics.
Meurer noted that the logistics interconnection will contribute to globalized trade, adding that not only Chinese enterprises, but also the enterprises in the countries and the regions along the train routes are utilizing the logistics network.
"Many companies are selling their products in Germany and Europe brought by the train, and now some companies are based in Duisburg selling German or Europe products backwards. We have also seen some companies doing E-commerce here," Meurer said.
He added that businesses have been booming, as the new foreign companies stimulate the local services branch, like advisory companies concerning taxes, finance, local laws, and creates jobs.
Talking about the ongoing Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing from April 25 to 27, Meurer said Duisburg is paying close attention to more cooperation possibilities in the digital area as well as the green solutions.
Meurer said the city is trying to transform to a smart city, with "e-governance, smart traffic network, etc", and has already cooperating with the Chinese company Huawei.
Meurer said the BRI also promotes the idea of green development, which is much needed in some developing countries. He added that his city has plenty of experience since Duisburg has transformed from a heavy industrious city with "much coal and steel" to a green city.
