Antwerp port establishes working group for projects on 'Belt and Road' initiatives

The Belgian port of Antwerp, the second largest in Europe, has set up a working group for the projects linked with China-proposed "Belt and Road" initiatives, Annik Dirkx, the spokeswoman of the Authority of the port of Antwerp, told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The "Belt and Road" go through the Euro-Asian continent and bind together the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, the importance of this initiative for Europe should not be underestimated, said Dirkx.

On the occasion of the visit of Belgium's King Philippe in China in June, Belgium formally presented its application to the Asian Investment Bank for infrastructure (AIIB).

The port of Antwerp has been closely linked with the Chinese market. It has a permanent representative in Shanghai and quickly develops cooperation with several Chinese coastal cities.

Exchanges between the port of Antwerp and the Chinese side have also been strengthened in the fields of education and training on maritime navigation and logistics.

According to Dirkx, the port of Antwerp has important partners in different countries and regions in Europe, Africa and Asia, so could play an important role for the Chinese multilateral trade.

The port of Antwerp has already signed a cooperation agreement with China Development Bank for a site for the construction of a China-Europe-Africa business and logistic center.

The port of Antwerp is not only developed in container transport, but also a railway junction and a petrochemical center in Europe. It is also connected to western China by the Asia-Europe railway.