Rail route to facilitate foreign trade

Goods from Urumqi in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will soon enjoy lower logistics costs and shorter travel time to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey, as a result of new cargo routes due to open this year.

The routes, part of the Sino Euro Cargo Railway program linking China with the Caucasus region and the Middle East, are now under test operation, according to He Jun, a deputy general manager of the Xinjiang China-Euro Combine Logistics Co Ltd in charge of route management of the Sino Euro Cargo Railway.

"The new routes will further boost trade between China and economies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative," said He.