China, Central Asia launch freight trains to deepen trade

(ECNS) -- In a move symbolizing deepening economic ties, China and Central Asia launched parallel freight trains on Monday, connecting Wuhan and Almaty in a synchronized effort to streamline bilateral trade.

The first China-Central Asia train set off from Wuhan in 2014. Over the past decade, leveraging the dual port hubs of Alashankou and Khorgos, the trains have run a total of 133 trips, transporting 10,842 TEUs of goods with a total value exceeding 1.5 billion yuan (about $210 million).

Central Asian products, including cotton yarn and wheat bran pellets, have entered the Hubei market. Meanwhile, products made here, including new energy vehicles, are exported to Central Asia.

In 2023, a new route from Uralsk, Kazakhstan, to Wuhan was launched, opening several new Central Asian grain logistics corridors. Goods from Central Asia are transferred to Yangluo Port and then shipped via the Yangtze River to major cities along its banks, while goods from the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta are consolidated in Wuhan before heading directly to Central Asia.

(By Gong Weiwei)