Russian Railways, Deutsche Bahn and China's Ministry of Railways signed a Memorandum on Cooperation in Beijing on 20 November 2006. The Memorandum envisages greater cooperation on Eurasian railway transportation.

The goal of the three sides is to increase rail freight between China and Europe via Russia and to develop competitive market services in rail transport and logistics. The three sides agreed to establish a joint coordinating committee. The chairmen of the joint coordinating committee's national sections will be: Liu Zhijun, China's Minister of Railways; Hans Mehdorn, CEO of Deutsche Bahn AG; Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways.

Within the framework of the joint coordinating committee, a trilateral working group consisting of management was also formed whose main tasks are to:

• develop a schedule for the joint work;
• conduct market research on rail container freight between Europe and Asia;
• conduct an analysis of the current situation;
• study the market potential for transport services in rail container freight between Europe and Asia;
• develop measures to achieve and implement the Memorandum's goals regarding cooperation;
• prepare the working group's final document;
• develop the legal, economic and organisational basis for joint cooperation and activity.

In order to implement rapid and convenient procedures for passing through border points, the sides also proposed inviting the customs services from the respective countries to participate in the working group.

The three sides further agreed that when the above measures have been implemented, they would hold a joint meeting and decide on the possibility of China, Russia and Germany creating a joint venture logistics company in April-May 2007 and other forms of possible cooperation.