China has resumed direct freight rail services to Afghanistan. The freight train left the city of Nantong in Jiangsu province, Ariana News reports today, October 31.
The resumption of the message was accompanied by an official ceremony attended by the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. Yue Xiaoyong and ambassador of Afghanistan to China Bilal Karimi. Now the 55-car train is heading to the city and port of Hairatan (on the border with Uzbekistan), in Balkh province.
This comes after China announced plans to remove customs duties on Afghan exports to China by the end of this year, further strengthening trade ties between the two countries.
Nantong, located north of Shanghai, is the center of the Belt and Road Initiative.
