Onet: Poland Closes China's Gateway To Europe

• 10.09.2025, 11:06

The terminal in Malaszewicz plays a key role.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced the closure of the border with Belarus because of the Russian-Belarusian exercise Zapad-2025. The decision will go into effect at midnight from Thursday to Friday.

This border is key for rail transportation of Chinese goods to the West, writes onet.pl. The terminal in Malaszewiczky has been called "China's gateway to Europe." The loading and unloading point, located on the Polish side of the border, is also important for Minsk. The new Silk Road passes through Belarus, and the Belarusian authorities are paid for providing railroad infrastructure.

"Key Point"

- The terminal in Malaszewicze is considered one of the most important transshipment hubs in Poland. Its peculiarity is that it serves trains running both on wide gauges - typical for Belarus, Russia and China - and provides transshipment on the European standard rail, which is nine centimeters narrower. Malaszewicze is therefore a key point of exchange of goods between East and West. There are few such places in Poland," explains Professor Wojciech Janicki.

The expert notes that the volume of goods transported across this border is unstable and depends on many factors.

- First of all - on the ratio of the cost of sea and rail transportation. This is influenced by fuel prices, among other things, as well as the level of the threat of maritime piracy in Africa. When the risk of maritime attacks increases, the overland route known as the New Silk Road, which runs through Russia and Belarus to Europe, is more often chosen," says Yanitsky.

- After the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022 and the reduction of trade with Russia, the volume of transportation across the border fell. Later it partially recovered, but now, due to the planned border closure and military maneuvers "West", we should expect a new decline," the interlocutor adds.

"Dead Spot"

The expert emphasizes that the closure of the border with Belarus may cause serious complications:

- It is not easy to redirect trains. Ukraine could be an alternative, but in the current conditions, this option is unrealistic for security reasons. Another option is Lithuania, but the situation in the Suvalki corridor also raises concerns. Before the maneuvers are over, we may find ourselves at a dead end," he explains.