China has launched its first-ever scheduled weekly container service between China and Europe using the Northeast Passage. The Northeast Passage, which skirts the Russian Arctic coastline, is the shortest shipping route from Europe to Asia. At a length of 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 kilometers), the Northeast Passage is almost twice as fast as the traditional Suez Canal route, which typically takes 40 to 50 days and covers 11,000 nautical miles (20,400 kilometers).