China-Europe railway services facilitate trade between northeast China, Central Asian countries

China-Europe freight trains play a crucial role in seamlessly connecting Dalian Port in northeast China with Central Asian countries, facilitating efficient logistics and trade in the region.

At the railway container center station in Dalian City, located in northeastern China, a China-Europe freight train was seen being prepared to depart for Russia, carrying a cargo of 1,000 tonnes.

The central railway station is conveniently located just under a kilometer from the pier, contributing to a seamless transition between the two modes of transportation.

A variety of goods, such as home appliances, children's clothing, and daily necessities, are transported to Russia's Baikal region.

On the return journey, Russian products like sheets, minerals, and agricultural goods are carried back to Dalian Port via the same logistics network.

"In early 2021, Dalian Port commenced the transit of commercial vehicles from Central Asia, expanding its container routes to 179 and solidifying its position as a critical hub for transit transportation, warehousing logistics, and trade with Central Asian countries," said Sun Jian, senior manager at the Logistics and Operations Department of Liaoning Port Group.

Currently, the China-Europe freight trains in Dalian maintain stable operations, transporting a diverse range of goods, including daily necessities, electronics, and automobiles, every week.

"Dalian Port stands as one of the four major commodity automobile transfer hub ports in China. Leveraging the advancement of the China-Europe freight train as a conduit and depending on the 'Dalian-Kazakhstan' commodity automobile transit transportation project, Dalian Port aims to extend the international multimodal transportation route for Japanese and South Korean automobiles to Central Asia. This expansion seeks to attract high-quality industries to utilize the seamless logistics transportation channel for their operations," said Wang Fei, business manager at the China-Europe Freight Train Marketing Center under the Dalian Harbourfront Container Logistics.

In Dalian, there are over 110 Sino-Russian trade companies, contributing to an estimated total trade value of approximately 12.6 billion yuan (about 1.73 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023.

Supported by the China-Europe freight trains, the strengthening economic and trade collaboration between China and Central Asian countries has been infusing fresh energy into regional economic development.

China-Europe railway services facilitate trade between northeast China, Central Asian countries

Infrastructure is at the heart of economic ties between China and its neighbor to the west, Tajikistan, as the in-depth and close cooperation between the two countries plays an important part in improving the livelihoods of Tajik people.

The Tajik capital of Dushanbe is no stranger to monuments. The city boasts the world's second tallest flag pole and the statue of Ismoil Somoni, the 10th-century ruler whom the country's currency is named after.

The latest addition to the list of impressive buildings in Dushanbe is the Independence and Freedom Monument.

Opened in 2022, it was built by Xinjiang Construction and Engineering Corporation, a subsidiary of China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

Gulomov Marufjon, a local Tajik who has been working for China State Construction for half a decade, told China Global Television Network (CGTN) that a total of five projects has been delivered by his company in Tajikistan since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed, the famous Independence and Freedom Monument included.

"In terms of infrastructure, the cooperation between the two countries has seen new developments every year since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed. Our company has built and delivered five important projects -- the National Library, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, two highways, and this Independence and Freedom Monument," said Gulomov, assistant to general manager of the Tajik branch of Xinjiang Construction and Engineering Corporation.

The tower's height of 91 meters symbolizes the year of the country's independence, namely 1991. While commemorating the Central Asian country charting its own path, it is one that is increasingly integrated with its neighbor to the east, China.

"More than 530 Chinese companies are operating in Tajikistan, encompassing industries such as construction, agriculture, industry, transportation, and maintenance. These companies have created numerous job opportunities for people and contributed to the development of the economy and bilateral relations," said Gulomov.

This monument to Tajik's modern history is also seen as a symbol of the country’s growing relationship with China.

Ties in building infrastructure praised for improving Tajik livelihoods