The New Silk Road Numbers – February 18, 2019

1,235

The number of China-Europe freight trains launched in 2018, 6.4 times the number in 2017, transporting a total of 1.2 million tonnes of goods with a value of $1.72 billion, according to China Daily.

60.69 billion

The total amount of yuan (US$8.97 billion) that flowed into the China A-share market through northbound trading under the connect mechanism between the mainland and Hong Kong bourses. This marked the first time that the monthly net inflow topped 60 billion yuan since the mechanism debuted in 2014, according to Shenzhen Daily.

< 300 million

For the first time since 2013, Samsung smartphones sold less than 300 million units, according to Korea Times. Still, Samsung remains the best-selling smartphone in the world, with 18.6% of global market share, though under increasing pressure from Chinese smartphone makers.

4.1%

Economic growth in Thailand for 2018, the Bangkok Post reports

829 million

The number of smartphone users expected in India by 2022, doubling its current rate, as reported by Abu Dhabi-based The National. All told, there are about 1.19 billion mobile subscribers in India, according to India’s Brand Equity Foundation, making it the second largest telecoms market after China.