A freight train directly linking China to Afghanistan departed Nantong City in east China's Jiangsu Province on Thursday, marking the resumption of the freight train services between the two countries.
Initially established in 2016, the freight train links China's Nantong to Afghanistan's Hairatan through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, creating a direct route for trade.
The resumption of freight train services will bring important opportunities for both countries to deepen the convergence of interest and achieve win-win cooperation.
"The China-Afghanistan direct freight train showcases that China upholds good-neighborliness and friendship and is ready to help Afghanistan advance peace and reconstruction. It also shows that as a country adhering to opening up and development, China can provide solutions to international and regional hotspot issues," said Yue Xiaoyong, Special Envoy on Afghan Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
An employee from Afghanistan's embassy in China said that he hopes the rail route will deepen the bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries in the fields of trade and investment.
The resumption of freight train services can also help Chinese enterprises to expand overseas by creating a new transportation route for products from China to Central Asian countries.
"Goods transported by the China-Afghanistan direct freight train are sourced from provinces including Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong in east and south China, which provides new logistics options for enterprises in these areas to venture overseas," said Yang Zhanchen, an official from Nantong Customs.
Direct freight train between China, Afghanistan resumes service
Foreign trade in north China's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region logged a historic high during the January to November period this year, customs data showed.
The region's import and export trade value reached 4.6 trillion yuan (about 630 billion U.S. dollars) in the first 11 months, up 0.6 percent year on year.
Beijing's foreign trade made up 71.7 percent of the region's total, the highest proportion.
During the period, the region's imports totaled 3.35 trillion yuan (about 459 billion U.S. dollars), while exports came in at 1.25 trillion yuan (about 171 billion U.S. dollars).
In terms of imports, the growth in auto and aircraft parts was relatively strong, up 13.7 percent and 13 percent year on year, respectively.
As for exports, complete autos, phones, and integrated circuits saw notable growth, up 62.8 percent, 29.3 percent and 12.8 percent year on year, respectively.
In Hebei Province, new energy vehicles and lithium-ion batteries saw strong performance in export.
"Our products are mainly exported to Belgium and the Netherlands. We have also expanded into markets in Australia and Africa. Currently, we've received a large number of orders, and all available slots are booked until February next year. Compared to 2023, our output has doubled this year," said Wu Qingyun, a staff member at a technology company specializing in lithium-ion batteries in Hebei's Shijiazhuang City.
From January to November, Hebei's foreign trade reached 560.19 billion yuan (about 77 billion U.S. dollars), marking an 8.1 percent year-on-year increase.
In the export sector, electric vehicle exports totaled 29.56 billion yuan (about 4 billion U.S. dollars), a remarkable increase of 1.9 times. Lithium-ion battery exports reached 390 million yuan (about 53 million U.S. dollars), surging 96.7 percent year on year.
Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region logs record foreign trade from January to November
