What Does Austria Have to Do with the Silk Road Project?

OrganizationsOther ♦ Published: November 30, 2018; 11:48 ♦ (Vindobona)

The Chinese "One Belt One Road Initiative", also known as the New Silk Road, is China's strategic measure of the century to make the entire Euro-Asian region including Africa even more dependent on its products and investments. Now the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and the ambassadors from China and Kazakhstan have joined forces to convince the Austrian population and politicians that the connection of Austria via broad-gauge railway to the Silk Road is an opportunity of the century.

In favour of the Silk Road access: Rail Cargo Group CEO Thomas Kargl, Chinese Ambassador Li Xiaosi, Kazakh Ambassador Kairat Sarybay and Vienna Chamber of Commerce President Walter Ruck: "The Silk Road project is an opportunity of the century." / Picture: © WKO / Wirtschaftskammer Wien (Abteilung Presse und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit)

At present, Austria is not yet directly connected to the Silk Road. However, the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (WKW) and the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) would like to change this.

According to the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, the new Silk Road will "connect the largest infrastructure project in human history and the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa with a high-performance,…