Interview: BRI promotes int'l, intercultural exchanges, says German professor

BERLIN, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- In the eyes of Michael Schueller, professor at the Osnabrueck University of Applied Sciences in Germany, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) creates opportunities for international and intercultural exchanges.

Schueller told Xinhua in a recent interview that the initiative was not widely known in Western Europe a few years ago.

"Back then I had a lot of questions about the BRI, my idea was to create an intercultural experience by contrasting the viewpoints of students from Kazakhstan, Germany and China," he said.

Therefore, Schueller organised a trip to countries and regions along the Belt and Road for his students in May 2019 to let them further understand the BRI's main projects during the excursion.

One group of the students started the train journey from Hamburg, Germany and headed to Almaty, Kazakhstan from west to east via Poland and Russia. Another group, led by Schueller started the trip from Shanghai, heading from east to west via Hefei in Anhui province, Xi'an in Shaanxi province, Lanzhou in Gansu province, and Horgos in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to get to Almaty. The third group was tasked with organizing a symposium at the German-Kazakh University in Almaty.

The trip took them about two weeks and they finally met in Almaty. The entire trip was documented in a 45-minute video report narrated in both Chinese and German.

Schueller said that he was very much impressed by the infrastructure behind the China-Europe freight train service during the trip, noting that there have been "huge changes" in recent years, as many people in Western Europe are now talking about the initiative.

Schueller also highlighted the importance of efficient transport connectivity in extraordinary global situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Railway connections are attractive complements to air freight and especially to sea freight," he said.

The China-Europe freight trains traveling along 73 routes have reached more than 170 cities in 23 European countries, since it was launched in 2011.

The China-Europe freight train trips have gained robust growth momentum since the start of 2021, with the total number surging 32 percent year-on-year to reach 10,030 by the end of August, two months earlier than last year, data from the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. showed.

Schueller said he was convinced that this rail link is vital for the countries along the Silk Road in Central Asia as it connects them to the global supply routes.

"Therefore, I hope that the spirit of the silk road, as we have experienced in our journey with international students from China, Kazakhstan and Germany, will continue to shape and form the Silk Road in the future," Schueller said.

In his eyes, such a huge project will be successful in the long term if all network partners, whether they are in Asia, Africa, Europe, or the rest of the world, can work together in a win-win form.