China's first rail-air freight train to Europe arrived in Urumqi City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Monday for cargo transfer, after departing from Guangzhou International Port in the Greater Bay Area on Friday.
The inaugural train carried a range of e-commerce goods, including small appliances, daily chemicals, and apparel, completing a 66-hour journey to Sanping Railway Station in Urumqi. Upon arrival, the cargo was swiftly transferred to Urumqi Airport for airfreight to European destinations.
This innovative logistics model drastically reduces transit times, ensuring goods reach their final destination in under a week, two-thirds faster than traditional all-rail routes, which typically take 15 to 20 days.
"The launch of this train will offer import and export companies a more economical, efficient and flexible transportation option. Unlike road transport, it is unaffected by weather and other factors, improving transportation efficiency by over 15 percent. It is estimated that the logistics costs will be reduced by more than 10 million yuan (about 1.37 million U.S. dollars) each year," said Liu Yang, a logistic service official at Urumqi.
The train meets the urgent order requirements of import and export companies and provides a strong support for the stable supply of goods in cross-border e-commerce.
China's first rail-air freight train to Europe arrives Urumqi for cargo transfer
China's first rail-air freight train to Europe arrives Urumqi for cargo transfer
The 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting concluded in east China's Suzhou on Saturday, yielding fruitful results and laying significant groundwork for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November.
The trade ministers' meeting focused on "building an open and predictable regional and multilateral economic and trade order" and "fostering new engines of innovative and dynamic trade and investment cooperation."
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao briefed the media on the meeting's outcomes at a press conference.
Wang said the meeting issued a joint statement titled the Suzhou Statement, and approved the latest edition of the APEC Roadmap for Innovative, Competitive and Resilient Services.
All parties agreed to advance policy innovation and reform in services trade, build an open and predictable investment environment, improve regional trade facilitation and supply chain resilience, strengthen standards coordination, and enhance intellectual property protection, Wang told the media.
He also said that substantial progress was made on a framework document for regional digital trade cooperation and the ministers emphasized promoting inclusive AI development, strengthening AI-related trade, and bridging the digital divide to ensure shared benefits from digital transformation.
The minister noted that the outcomes of the meeting demonstrated strong cooperation willingness, highlighted an innovation-oriented approach, and reflected inclusiveness and shared benefits. "The fact that Asia-Pacific economies can come together, uphold the original aspiration of promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation while supporting economic growth and prosperity, and engage in in-depth discussions on the important issue of 'where multilateral and regional economic and trade cooperation is headed,' fully demonstrates that open regionalism and true multilateralism enjoy broad support, and that mutual success and shared development serve the fundamental interests of all economies," Wang said.
2026 APEC trade ministers' meeting concludes with fruitful results
