"As the financial market is further market-oriented, lenders' capability on pricing, cost control and serving clients with tailor-made products and tailor-made prices will become major areas of competition."

JIMMY LEUNG, PwC China financial services leader.

"The two parties come from aviation and insurance, which are two completely different industries, so their cooperation is targeting China's consumption upgrade, amid which they can benefit from the surging demand for travel service and financial service."

LI LEI, an industrial analyst from Minzu Securities.

China Eastern Air Holding Co and Ping An Insurance (Group) Co of China have signed a strategic cooperative agreement, under which the two sides will work together in fields including business trip and travel services, insurance, finance, property and mixed-ownership reform.

"If a client chooses rail freight from China to Europe, he can save about 70 percent on costs compared with air transportation ... The transit time will also be approximately 50 percent shorter compared to sea transportation."

BAO YUEFEI, vice-president of Yiwu CF International Logistics Co Ltd During the past five years, China has wheeled out 5,500 freight train services linking the country with European markets. By mid-September, freight trains had connected 33 Chinese cities with 32 cities in 12 European countries.

(China Daily European Weekly 09/29/2017 page24)