(Original title: Two weeks later, Poland opened the channel for China)

The observer network.

The closure of the Polish border once resulted in the forced shutdown of the Central European line.

The Financial Times on September 23 that Poland's decision to reopen its border ports with Belarus, after closing for two weeks due to security concerns, meant the restoration of China's main land trade routes to Europe.

According to Polish Prime Minister Tusk, the port will be reopened at midnight on 24 local time, he also hinted that Poland could close the transit point again if the threat reappears.

On the 12th of this month, due to the "West-2025" joint strategic exercise, Poland closed all Polish-Belarus border crossings from now on. Although the military exercise ended on the 16th, Polish Minister of Interior and Administration Marcin Kelwinski announced at the press conference that all Polish-Belarus border crossings (including roads and railways) will remain closed indefinitely until "the safety of Polish citizens is fully guaranteed".

This decision directly cut off the important land transportation route of Chinese goods through Russia-Belarus-Poland into the European Union, according to the European Railway Freight Association estimates, currently 85-90% of China-European routes need to enter the European Union through Poland, which means about 300 trains filled with goods such as electronics, automotive parts, photovoltaic components stay in Belarus, and the overall cost of the supply chain increased by more than 15%.

Tusk said on the 23rd that Poland will reopen its port at midnight on the 24th. "This measure has served its purpose." He also hinted that Poland could close the crossings again if the threat reappears. "We still have this tool at our disposal and we will not hesitate to use it again if tensions rise."

Despite the military exercises, the port closure was extended after NATO shot down a Russian drone entering Polish airspace.

Tusk said NATO allies have strengthened their presence in the region, and a military operation called the "Eastern Guard" "increased the sense of security."

Road crossing at Polovce-Pyszchatka on the Polish-Belarusian border

With the development of China's e-commerce platform, the freight volume of China-Europe trains has surged. Poland's state-owned rail freight giant PKP Cargo has warned that the prolonged closure will cause freight volumes to be diverted southbound through Central Asia and the Black Sea region, thus causing losses to the Polish economy.

According to the report, Chinese traders said that the closure of the port forced their goods to stay. "Many customers who usually prefer rail transportation have to choose sea freight," a representative of a logistics company in Shenzhen said before the port reopened. He said that rail transportation from China to Europe takes about 30 days, while sea transportation takes 40 to 50 days.

The Treasury-Brest railway port used by Chinese exporters, which is one of several rail and road ports closed before the exercise, will now be reopened.

According to data from the Polish Road Transportation Administration, about 1,500 trucks and buses stopped on the Belarusian side last week due to the closure of ports.

According to the report, the decision to close the border also triggered speculation that Poland and Europe may try to put pressure on China in response to the so-called "China's support for Russia". After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Chinese companies have been filling the market gap left by the withdrawal of Western companies from Russia.

Map of Central Europe.

Philip Irush, an analyst for China at the University of Basel, said that while the closure of the port would irritate China, it is unlikely to seriously change the strategic direction of China¡¯s relationship with Russia.

China has repeatedly stressed that on the issue of the crisis in Ukraine, China has consistently adhered to an objective and fair position, actively persuaded and promoted talks.Most countries, including the United States and Europe, are conducting trade with Russia, and the normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises are in line with the rules of World Trade and market principles, and should not be targeted at third parties and should not be interfered and influenced by third parties.

According to the website of the Belarusian Presidential Office, on September 22, President Lukashenko held a meeting with a senior Chinese official to discuss related issues. Lukashenko believes that Poland¡¯s recent move is not friendly to China and is a political act, but he believes that ¡°a great country like China can easily address this issue.¡±

At the time of the interruption of the Central European line, the fourth plenary meeting of the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee was held in Warsaw on the 15th, and the meeting was jointly chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland Sikorski.

Polish port shutdown caused interruption in Central Europe

The two sides exchanged views on the importance of developing an efficient and economically competitive Eurasian transport corridor and the key role Poland plays in it.The two sides recognized the benefits of providing mutually beneficial services in rail, sea and air freight, as well as the strengthening of existing and potential transport lines and logistics chains, and are willing to jointly ensure the safe and seamless operation of the European Union¡¯s passenger lines.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Zhejiang also stressed at a routine press conference earlier that China-European line is the flagship project of China-Wave and China-European cooperation, in line with the common interests of both sides.