The first China-Central Asia international tourist train left China via the rail port in Horgos, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Saturday noon.
Carrying 234 passengers, the maiden trip of the newly-launched service started from Xi'an City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Thursday, and is set to end in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Saturday.
At Horgos Railway Station, passengers completed customs and border inspections before transferring to a special train for the section outside China.
"I've never traveled out of China by train before, and this trip has been very hassle free. I just completed my paperwork for border exit at the station. It's very convenient," said Chinese traveler Guo Yingjie.
By strengthening coordination with local customs, border inspection and other departments, local railway bureau ensured smooth ticket exchange for passengers, and managed to shorten the time for entry and exit procedures to about 2.5 hours.
"International combined transport tickets are different from ordinary train tickets. They are three-piece tickets with information such as arrival and departure stations and seats marked in both Chinese and Russian. We have been in close contact with the railway authorities in Xi'an, and have handled the round-trip ticket procedures from Horgos to Almaty in advance for passengers," said Jin Yize, duty officer of the passenger train division of Horgos Railway Station.
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 is the China Tourism Year in Kazakhstan, and the second summit will be held in Kazakhstan.
First tourist train linking China's Xi'an, Kazakhstan's Almaty leaves China
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he estimates a deal with Iran will be signed "in the next day or two."
Trump said in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 News that the United States and Iran will probably meet over the weekend to finalize a deal to end the war. "The Iranians want to meet and make a deal," he said.
He said "the naval blockade on Iran is helping to make a deal. I will not lift it until we make a deal," adding that "the biggest part of this deal is that it will make Israel safer. This deal is good for Israel."
According to the channel, one component of the deal under discussion is that the United States will release 20 billion U.S. dollars in frozen Iranian funds.
In exchange, Iran would give up its stockpile of enriched uranium, and would be only allowed to have nuclear research reactors to produce medical isotopes, all above ground.
Trump also stressed that Israel must stop the strikes on Lebanon, saying, "They can't keep blowing up buildings. I'm not going to allow that."
Also on Friday, Trump said in a phone interview with Bloomberg that a deal to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is mostly complete as talks over a lasting peace deal will "probably" be held this weekend in Pakistan.
Trump said in the phone interview that Iran agreed to suspend its nuclear program indefinitely, and will not receive any frozen funds from the United States.
"Most of the main points are finalized. It'll go pretty quickly," Trump said.
Asked if he would travel to Pakistan to sign the potential deal, Trump said: "I may."
Trump again denied that the moratorium on Iran's nuclear program would expire after 20 years. "No years, unlimited," Trump said.
The United States will get all of Iran's nuclear "dust" with no money having exchanged hands "in any way, shape, or form," Trump wrote on social media earlier on Friday. Multiple Western media outlets have interpreted Trump's reference to nuclear "dust" as meaning Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iran has yet to comment on any deal beyond the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, nor on claims made by Trump that Tehran had offered concessions, including over the key issue of its nuclear program.
If the United States continues its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will consider it a violation of the ceasefire between the two countries and will close the waterway, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Friday, citing an informed source close to the Supreme National Security Council.
The Iranian side has yet to respond to the media report on the enriched uranium issue.
The United States and Iran had their first round of negotiations in Pakistan's Islamabad last weekend to ease tension in the Middle East. The talks, which failed to produce an agreement, took place after a ceasefire was announced on April 8 between Iran, the United States, and Israel, following 40 days of fighting.
Iran tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on the country on Feb. 28. The United States also imposed a naval blockade on the strait following the failed negotiations in Islamabad.
Earlier on Friday, both Washington and Tehran confirmed that the strait had been completely open for all commercial vessels. However, Trump said on Truth Social that the U.S. naval blockade would "remain in full force." In response, Iran warned of closing the waterway again if the U.S. blockade continues.
Trump says may sign deal with Iran "in the next day or two": Israeli media
Trump claims peace deal with Iran mostly complete: report
