Poland Reopens Border With Belarus, as China Struggles to Find Alternative Trade Routes to EU

Alternative routes can’t replace the China-Europe Railway Express mainline that goes through the Poland-Belarus border, according to analysts.

A crane transfers a container to a China Railway Express train to Europe in the Chinese border city of Erenhot, Inner Mongolia Region, on April 18, 2019. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Poland announced it would reopen border crossings with Belarus on Sept. 25, after the European Union expressed concerns that the temporary closure blocked the flow of trade between China and Europe. The Polish government did not rule out further closures.

The China-Europe Railway Express, which is a vital logistics channel between China and the EU, will resume operations. Analysts said that the nearly two-week Polish border closure showed the vulnerabilities of this critical route and that it can’t be replaced by Beijing’s alternative routes in the short term.