Foreign media: China is accelerating the expansion of overland trade routes to Central Asia. Last year, China became the largest trading partner for all Central Asian countries, with bilateral trade volume growing by 12% to surpass $100 billion, where China's exports were twice its imports.
Over the past year, the Belt and Road Initiative has rapidly developed in Central Asia. The freight train service from Chongqing to Tashkent, launched in April last year, covers a distance of 4,700 kilometers and takes only about 12 days—reducing transit time by 30%. In 2023, more than 20,000 trans-Eurasian trains operated, and in the first half of this year, the number increased by 20% year-on-year to reach 11,178 trains, connecting 129 Chinese cities with 235 cities across 26 European countries.
This trend reflects China’s proactive efforts to diversify overland export channels amid geopolitical tensions disrupting maritime hubs, while Central Asia’s strategic role as a logistics hub on the Eurasian landmass is simultaneously strengthening.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1871429894362124/
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