The operation of the first transit container trainfrom Tianjin Port to Manzhouli since June 27,2008 indicates that a new Eurasia ContinentalBridge transport line was successfully put intoservice, which makes Tianjin Port the only continentalbridge port with three transport linesin China.

Yu Rumin, chairman of Tianjin Port (Group) Co.,Ltd., said that the Tianjin Port section of EurasiaContinental Bridge would play the role as“the economical development link connectedto areas alongside the continental bridge” and“the bridge that pushes ahead the regionaleconomic cooperation alongside the continentalbridge”. It shall spare no effort in developingitself into a strategic transport passage thatensures China’s energy supply and transportsafety for economic development, relying on itslocation-specific advantages, economic advantages,advantages as an urban and port area,and policy-specific and functional advantages.

The Tianjin Port section of the Eurasia ContinentalBridge is one of the major passages ofChina’s new Eurasia Continental Bridge withTianjin Port as the east bridgehead. Cargo containersare disembarked at Tianjin New Harbor,and shipped to Mongolia via Tianjin, Beijing,Datong of Shanxi Province, Erenhot of Inner-Mongolia. From there, they will go further northto Russia through Ulan Bator and be taken overby Siberia Grand Railway. In Brest, the cargois distributed to the west bridgeheads such asRotterdam of Holland and Antwerp of Belgium.The passage connects regions including EastAsia, Middle Asia, West Asia, Middle East, EastEurope, Middle Europe, South Europe andWest Europe, stretching approximately 10,000kilometers across Asia and Europe, making itselfthe transport course which was put into operationearliest in Chinese Mainland with the largestvolume, shortest distance and most choicesof transport lines.

On September 11, 1989, the first batch of eightcontainers loaded with carpets and naturalrubber products were shipped from TianjinPort to Mongolia, which opened a new page ofthe transportation via Tianjin Port section ofEurasia Continental Bridge.

The transportation via Tianjin Port sectionof Eurasia Continental Bridge has achievedgreat development since its opening. Presently,the transportation adopts a structure of“two bridges, three exits and three lines”. Thetwo bridges refer to Neo-Eurasia ContinentalBridge and Siberia Continental Bridge; threeexits refer to the three border cities of Manzhouli,Erenhot and Aleshankou via which thecargoes are shipped abroad; the three linesinclude: the first one which starts from TianjinPort to Manzhouli via Jingshan Line, ShenshanLine, Jinqi Line and Binzhou Line; the secondone which starts from Tianjin Port to Erenhotvia Jinjingzhang Line, Jizhang Line and Ji’er Line;the third one which starts from Tianjin Port toAleshankou via Jinjingzhang Line, Jizhang Line,Linha Line and Lanxin Line.

It is estimated that in 1998 the shipping volumeon the continental bridge surpassed 10,000equivalent units. Since then, in year 2002 and2004, cross-border lines, the Wuding trains,which go through Erenhot and Aleshankourespectively were brought into operation. Inyear 2006, the shipping volume via the continentalbridge topped 50,000 equivalent units.Till the first half of 2008, the total volume viathe continental bridge had surpassed 400,000equivalent units. There is one train per day goingthrough Erenhot and one train every otherday going through Aleshankou. It is quite likelythat the annual shipping volume in 2008 willsurpass 100,000 equivalent units, making thetotal shipping volume and the annual shippingvolume ranking first among the ports of itskind in China.

According to sources, as the best meetingpoint that connects Neo-Eurasia ContinentalBridge and Siberia Continental Bridge, EurasiaContinental Bridge from Tianjin Port willbecome an important logistic passage and abridge that promotes regional economic cooperationfor Eurasia international trade in the future.It will endow Tianjin Port more influentialmarket impact and stronger competitiveness inthe world.