On June 7, a China-Europe freight train departed from Jinan and is expected to reach Almaty, becoming the 10,000th China-Europe freight train to depart from Shandong. [Photo/Dazhong News]

On June 7, a China-Europe freight train departed from Jinan, capital of Shandong province, loaded with 53 containers of steel balls, laser engraving machines, and other goods. It is expected to reach Almaty in nine days.

It is the 10,000th China-Europe freight train to depart from Shandong province since the first journey in October 2018.

The China-Europe freight trains from Shandong have charted a path of rapid, high-quality development. In less than six years, the trains have served over 20,000 import and export enterprises, transported over 840,000 TEUs of goods and generated an import and export value of over 100 billion yuan ($13.8 billion). They have opened up a new channel for import and export trade for Shandong.

The China-Europe freight trains departing from Shandong include home appliance trains, tire trains, chemical trains, commodity vehicle trains, and cold chain and cross-border e-commerce trains.

Thanks to its transportation advantages and name-brand image, the China-Europe freight trains have promoted the development of Shandong's leading industries and effectively ensured the safety and stability of the international supply chain and industrial chain.