High-speed railway passengers in China can now travel with their pets starting Thursday, thanks to a pilot program launched by the country's railway operator.
The program, launched by China Railway Express on Tuesday, allows passengers and their furry companions to travel together on select high-speed trains along the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, creating a record for the country's rail system.
The first train allowing the pet-friendly service departed from Beijing South Railway Station at 09:24 on Thursday.
The pilot service is being tested on 10 train services running between five major stations, namely, Beijing South, Jinan West, Nanjing South, Shanghai Hongqiao, and Hangzhou East. Travelers can make reservations through the 12306 system, the railway ticket and service booking network, at least two days in advance.
The pet must be a domesticated cat or dog in good health, weighing no more than 15 kilograms and no taller than 40 centimeters at the shoulder. A valid animal health certificate is required for the owner to access the service.
The pet owner needs to book a spot for their cat or dog in a specially designed pet transport container equipped with sensors monitoring air circulation, oxygen, humidity, noise and odor.
Once on board, the animal is kept separately in a designated compartment, away from passenger seating areas.
"During the journey, our staff keep an eye on the animal through the monitoring system in the special pet container and conduct an inspection every two hours. We provide water to the pet as needed, but feeding is not permitted mid-journey," said Zhang Lei, a China Railway Express staff member, in an interview with China Central Television.
The service follows a "same departure, same arrival" policy, ensuring that pets and their owners depart and arrive at their destinations simultaneously.
Passengers are advised to arrive at the station a few hours before departure to complete the necessary check-in procedures. Pets can be collected within one hour after arrival, with pickup notifications sent via text message or phone call.
According to China Railway Express, the service is part of broader efforts to modernize the country's transportation infrastructure and meet the growing demand for pet-friendly travel options.
First high-speed train allows pets to travel with owners
A deal to give the United States exclusive access to Ukraine's mineral resources has sparked contention among Ukrainian experts, who have described earlier drafts of the agreement as "unacceptable" and "colonial."
As the war between Ukraine and Russia is showing signs of winding down, another battle is quietly unfolding beneath Ukrainian soil, with competitors eying Ukraine's vast reserves of critical minerals.
The United States and Ukraine have signed an agreement to establish the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Wednesday.
For some, the minerals deal with the United States offers a lifeline for Kiev's war-torn economy. For others, it signals the quiet start of a resource takeover, raising concerns about what Ukraine may be giving away in exchange for support.
Ukraine is rich in critical resources such as graphite, lithium, and titanium. All these are vital to electric vehicles, the aerospace industry, and the high-tech supply chain.
At a graphite quarry roughly 400 km south from Kiev, capital of Ukraine, the roads give way to deep ruts and scattered debris, which means the mine site falls short of normal operation in wartime.
According to Ukraine's geological survey, the country holds 22 of the 50 strategic materials identified by the U.S. as critical.
As the global race for these resources intensifies, Washington is eager to secure reliable access. Ukraine, desperate for investment for reconstruction, has opened its doors. However, according to experts, the negotiations have been tense.
"When we had the first draft of this agreement, it was absolutely awful, absolutely unacceptable for Ukraine. It was also like a colonial agreement," said Volodymyr Landa, senior economist at the Center of Economic Strategy of Ukraine.
The country's mining sector is in dire need of foreign capital. At one of Ukraine's largest graphite deposits, infrastructure is minimal, with a few dogs, a guard, and an elderly tractor driver.
A Lviv-based mine owner said water pipes freeze over in winter, bringing operations to a halt. More importantly, the war has drained both labor and funding.
"If the Ukrainian government presents it for free, for 50 years with free rent, our resources will lose from that," said Ostap Kostiuk, CEO of Zavallivskyi Graphite, located in the Kirovohrad region.
Following a tense and reportedly humiliating visit to Washington in March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to have softened his stance on a minerals deal he once said he would never sign. The move has triggered public outcry at home.
"Now they (the U.S.) say 'give me money, no, lithium' for the guarantees. It's not fair, I think," said a local resident.
"I definitely started to respect America less. He (Trump) is not interested in Ukraine actually ending the war," another added.
This graphite deposit represents only a fraction of Ukraine's untapped potential. An estimated 30 percent of its critical minerals have already been extracted. The other 70 percent, still buried across vast swathes of the country, is what many believe Washington is ultimately eying.
"Please do everything to make this peace closer to us, closer to people, closer to Ukrainians. Because every day, every hour, every minute, it costs our Ukrainian nation one to five Ukrainian best guys' lives," said Kostiuk.
In the view of Professor Valeriy Pekar, a business scholar in Kyiv and Lviv, the Trump administration is not actually interested in securing peace for Ukraine.
"To take control of our resources, it is necessary to end the war. The American leadership declares themselves great peacemakers, but what they really do is not peacemaking. It's war mongering," he said.
US interest in Ukraine's critical minerals draws public backlash
