Freight train linking China to Afghanistan departs Nantong on Oct 31. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The freight train directly linking Hai'an in Nantong, China, to Hairatan, Afghanistan, departed the city on Oct 31, marking the resumption of the freight train.

Zhang Tong, mayor of Nantong, said at the ceremony that Nantong is an essential hub of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. She stated that the resumption of direct freight train services is not only a practical move for Nantong to establish a new transportation route for products to Central and South Asian countries but also an opportunity for the city to explore emerging markets such as Central and South Asia.

Yue Xiaoyong, Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, congratulated the launch of the China-Afghanistan direct freight train service. He mentioned that in recent years, the economic and trade exchanges between China and Afghanistan have continued to expand, practical cooperation has been continuously enhanced, and the resumption of the China-Afghanistan train service will serve as an important opportunity to deepen the integration of interests between the two sides and achieve win-win cooperation.

Asadullah Bilal Karimi, ambassador of Afghanistan to China, expressed gratitude for China's resumption of the direct freight train service. He added that Afghanistan possesses numerous high-quality and high-potential export goods, which will significantly promote the trade between China and Afghanistan and usher in a new chapter of cooperation between the two sides.