Xi'an, Kazakhstan rail hub boosts trade ties

A dedicated rail terminal for freight between Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and Kazakhstan came online on Saturday, and is expected to boost the growing trade between China and Central Asia.

The Kazakhstan Xi'an Terminal covers nearly 50 hectares in the Xi'an International Port and mainly consists of cargo warehouses and container storage areas.

Connecting Kazakhstan and Xi'an, it will facilitate the "fast delivery and quick pick-up" of containers, according to the inland rail port.

"The completion of the project will push Xi'an a step further as a key hub for the China-Europe freight services, injecting new energy into Shaanxi's further integration into the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Sun Yimin, director of the management committee of the Xi'an International Trade and Logistics Park.

Yerlan Koishibayev, deputy chairman of Kazakhstan's railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, said that the project is expected to "provide a stable, reliable and secure platform for us, ensuring efficient consolidation and distribution of goods between China and Kazakhstan. High-quality services for import, export and transit goods are also available in the future".

"Since the beginning of this year, the volume of goods transported between Kazakhstan and China has continuously increased, reaching 26 million metric tons, a 22 percent growth compared to the same period last year," he said.

The completion of the project holds significant importance for deepening cooperation between the two countries, bringing more opportunities in expanding clientele and increasing trade and investment, he added.

The project, completed in three months, was one of the important achievements of the first China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an in May.

A total of 17 projects in or involving Shaanxi were inked during the summit, according to Xinhua News Agency.

On Oct 27, a project for a new logistics terminal in Almaty, built by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and Xi'an International Trade and Logistics Park, was also launched.

"The two sides in future will make more efforts in boosting trade and cultural exchanges, taking the cooperation to a higher level," said Sun.