Spain - Jan 27

A modern “Silk Road” between Yiwu (China’s east coast) and Spain’s capital, Madrid, will take place on a two-way trade freight train called the Yixinou Rail.  Authorities in Beijing hope the new 13,000 kilometer route will further open up interior China and more isolated markets in Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, and India to Western trade.  Two factors appear to inhibit potential trade relations, however: the short term higher price of shipping by train, compared to sea, and unfavorable overland temperatures.  Still, current date indicates that Spanish exports to China have tripled since the use of Yixinou Rail began.

Source: El Pais