A tourist train departed from northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Thursday for Almaty, Kazakhstan, marking the debut of the China-Central Asia international tourist train and a new step in cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Carrying 234 passengers, the train is set to arrive in Almaty on Saturday.
Along the way, it will pass through provinces and autonomous regions including Shaanxi, Gansu, and Xinjiang before exiting China via Horgos Port, a major railway hub in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
"This international tourist train adopts a segmented transport model consisting two sections. On the Xi'an-Horgos domestic section, the train uses 25T-type carriages operating at 140 kilometers per hour, and on the Horgos to Almaty section it will be switched to international intermodal trains with 25G-type carriages. We have worked closely with Kazakhstan's railway authorities to ensure passengers enjoy one-stop customs clearance services," said Hui Lixia, deputy director of the passenger transport department at China Railway Xi'an Bureau Group Co., Ltd.
The return journey is scheduled to depart on June 5 and arrive in Xi'an on June 7, with each one-way trip taking about 57 hours.
The special train service is one of the key outcomes of the first China-Central Asia Summit held in Xi'an in 2023. This year, which marks China Tourism Year in Kazakhstan, will see the second summit held in Kazakhstan.
First tourist train linking China's Xi'an, Kazakhstan's Almaty inaugurated
First tourist train linking China's Xi'an, Kazakhstan's Almaty inaugurated
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday strongly condemned an Israeli attack on a Lebanese Army patrol that killed two officers and one soldier.
Condemning the attack on the Khardali-Nabatieh road earlier in the day as a flagrant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and international laws and norms, Aoun said in a statement that the strike was part of Israel's ongoing escalation, which threatens stability and security in southern Lebanon, despite Beirut's efforts in Washington negotiations to end the ongoing Israeli attacks.
Aoun said the fallen servicemen had joined a long list of military and civilian victims, including children, women, paramedics, rescue workers, and journalists killed in Israeli attacks.
He extended his condolences to the Lebanese Army command and the families of the victims, praising the sacrifices of the officers, soldiers, and other military personnel who had given their lives in defense of the country and its sovereignty.
He stressed that Lebanon would not waver in protecting its land and people. Such attacks, he added, would not deter the country from upholding its full national rights.
Aoun also called on the international community to assume its responsibilities, put an end to the repeated attacks, and ensure respect for relevant international resolutions to preserve Lebanon's security and stability.
On the same day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement confirming the attack and said it had launched an investigation into the incident.
According to the statement, the IDF spotted a vehicle "moving suspiciously" across an "active combat zone" in the Tebnit area of southern Lebanon on Saturday.
The IDF said it had previously received intelligence indicating that Hezbollah militants would open fire on Israeli troops from that area. Citing this intelligence and asserting that the vehicle posed a "threat to Israeli soldiers", the military carried out the strike.
Lebanese president slams Israeli attack killing 3 servicemen
