The closure of the Polish-Belarusian border has frozen a key route for Chinese exports to the European Union, prompting Beijing to put pressure on Warsaw to reopen it and restore the freight link.
The sudden closure of Poland’s border with Belarus has already caused logistical disruptions for users of the China-Europe Railway Express, analysts and industry players said.
The measure was introduced on September 12 in response to the Russian-Belarusian Zapad 2025 military exercises.
The Polish government cited national security threats as the rationale for the closure. However, the fallout extends far beyond military implications, spilling into global trade.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the “government will restore traffic when the safety of Poles is fully guaranteed.”
The suspension of border traffic concerns all traffic coming in and out of Poland, including road transport and trains.
“This decision was taken in connection with the exercises, and will remain in effect for longer than the planned event,” said the minister of the interior and administration Marcin Kierwiński.
Three railway border crossings for freight traffic were also closed. These include: Kuźnica Białostocka-Grodno, Siemianówka-Svislač, and Terespol-Brest.
The European Commission has stated it is closely monitoring the situation. However, with Poland insisting on security-first policies and no clear timeline for reopening the border, trade disruption may be prolonged.
“Due to economic issues, we will do everything in our power to reopen the borders as soon as possible. All ministries were tasked with preparing a summary of potential losses, which will be the basis for any decisions concerning possible support for specific industries in connection with this shutdown. We will take care of this in the future,” the Polish minister of the interior and administration pointed out.
In a meeting with Polish deputy prime minister and foreign minister Radosław Sikorski on September 15, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi failed to persuade Poland to reopen its border with Belarus.
However, both sides “expressed their willingness to ensure the safety and accessibility of the China-Europe Railway Express.”
During the visit to Warsaw, Wang Yi and his Polish counterpart Radosław Sikorski reaffirmed commitments to the “sustainable development” of bilateral trade.
The China-Europe Railway Express has become a pillar of EU-China commerce. On Thursday (September 11), China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the China-Europe Railway Express is a flagship project of the China-Poland and China-EU cooperation.
“The project benefits both sides,” the spokesperson noted in a press briefing.
Beijing had already said before the ministers met that it hoped Poland would “take effective measures to ensure the safe and smooth operation of the express and the stability of international industrial and supply chains.”
With no reopening date in sight, Polish government expressed hope for the normalization of the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border.
