A China-Europe freight train undergoes container reloading at the transshipment yard of Alashankou Station in Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on July 15, 2025. Photo: VCG

A China-Europe freight train loaded with electronics, mechanical and electrical equipment, and daily necessities departed from the Horgos railway port in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on July 27, bound for Duisburg, Germany. 

As of that day, the Alashankou and Horgos railway ports in Xinjiang had handled over 10,000 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight trains this year, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Since the beginning of this year, Xinjiang has committed to building itself into an important corridor linking Asia and Europe and to serving as a gateway for China's opening-up efforts in the west, continuously enhancing the capacity of the western corridor for China-Europe freight trains. The two ports, Alashankou and Horgos, have handled over 50 percent of the country's China-Europe freight trains, effectively ensuring the stability and smooth operation of international supply chains.

Improved services
In a statement sent to the Global Times, China Railway Urumqi Group Co said that the Xinjiang railway authorities have strengthened coordination with customs and border inspection departments to jointly advance smart port project. 

The "smart railway port + fast customs clearance" model has been implemented at Horgos Station. Recently, a train operation status detection system was completed and put into use at Horgos Station, enabling efficient identification of inbound train conditions and reducing manual workload by 25 percent, according to the statement. 

Moreover, the deployment of the transparent inter-station system under the smart port project has facilitated information sharing between China and Kazakhstan, reducing the processing time for each inbound train by 10 minutes, effectively enhancing train handover efficiency.

"The China-Europe (Central Asia) freight trains offer fast transportation and stable schedules, saving enterprises transportation costs. Since the implementation of the model this year, customs clearance procedures for the trains have become more convenient and efficient, making trains the preferred logistics solution for many clients," China Railway Urumqi Group Co told the Global Times on Thursday, citing Li Xihui, manager of the Horgos Branch of Hong'an Freight Forwarding Co.

As of now this year, our agency has handled 1,500 import and export trains, a 20 percent increase compared to the same period last year, Li said. 

A representative surnamed Liu from Xinjiang International Land Port (Group) Co, a hub of China-Europe freight trains in Urumqi, highlighted the cross-border fast customs clearance business model.

"Under this model, train cargo bypasses the traditional station-by-station inspection and item-by-item review process, requiring only a single declaration and inspection for direct release. On average, each train saves 2 to 3 hours, and the cost per container is reduced by approximately 200 yuan," Liu told the Global Times on Thursday.

A representative from Alashankou Zhengmao International Freight Forwarding Co surnamed Yang told the Global Times that cargo volume at Alashankou port had remained relatively stable since April. She noted that recent measures to streamline customs clearance across various ports had been particularly helpful for cross-border e-commerce. "There's now a dedicated green channel for e-commerce goods, which has definitely improved efficiency," Yang said.

"These measures reflect the Xinjiang's efforts to drive service upgrades through technology, ensuring the timely supply of cross-border goods. Moreover, e-commerce enterprises can more confidently expand into international markets and diversify their product offerings," Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Stabilizer for global supply chains
As a vast region that borders Central Asian countries, Xinjiang has enhanced its connectivity with the world significantly in recent years, boosting mutually beneficial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, driven by the BRI.

According to China Railway Urumqi Group Co, the Alashankou railway port operates 124 freight train routes, reaching 21 countries and regions including Germany and Poland. The Horgos railway port operates 89 routes, connecting to 18 countries and 46 cities and regions abroad. As of now, the Alashankou railway port has handled a cargo volume of 9.778 million tons, up 3.7 percent year-on-year, while the Horgos railway port has handled 7.96 million tons, rising 20.3 percent.

Yang noted Xinjiang's growing role in China's foreign trade, citing its strategic location and the continued development of the BRI. "Given Xinjiang's geographic advantage and the momentum of the BRI over the years, its importance as a hub connecting China with Central Asia is only increasing," she said.

In the first half of the year, Xinjiang's total foreign trade reached 280.82 billion yuan, setting a new historical high for the same period, with a year-on-year growth of 28 percent, surpassing the national growth rate by 25.1 percentage points.

During the period, it has trade relations with 222 countries and regions worldwide, an 8.8 percent increase. Among these, trade with BRI partner countries reached 237.59 billion yuan, up 17.9 percent year-on-year, accounting for over 80 percent of the total. The import and export value with Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) member countries increased by 98.7 percent year-on-year, highlighting the vitality of transoceanic cooperation.

Wang noted that by strengthening trade cooperation with countries along the routes, Xinjiang has promoted the optimized allocation of resources and coordinated industrial development in the region, transforming the BRI from a concept into concrete actions, contributing to the construction of an open global economy.

Moreover, the regular operation of the China-Europe freight trains, as a vital transportation corridor connecting Asia and Europe, ensures the timely and safe delivery of goods, alleviating supply chain pressures caused by disruptions in maritime and air transport, Wang said. 

"By continuously optimizing the trade environment and improving customs clearance efficiency, Xinjiang provides reliable logistics and trade solutions for global enterprises, becoming a key force in stabilizing the global supply chain and playing a significant role in maintaining the global industrial division of labor and trade order," the expert noted.