Xinjiang's Horgos Port handles 5,000 China-Europe freight trains this year

China

Xinjiang's Horgos Port handles 5,000 China-Europe freight trains this year

2025-07-02 21:59 Last Updated At：23:07

Horgos Port, a major railway hub in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has handled more than 5,000 China-Europe freight train trips this year, reaching the milestone 42 days earlier than in 2024, according to customs officials.

On Wednesday, a China-Europe freight train loaded with electronic products and daily necessities departed from Horgos Port for Małaszewicze, Poland, becoming the 5,000th train to pass through the port this year.

The port currently handles an average of more than 27 China-Europe freight train trips daily, with the arrival of a return train every two hours. Total cargo volume has reached 7 million tons, representing a 20 percent year-on-year increase. The trains primarily carry "Made in China" products such as daily necessities, mechanical and electrical equipment, electronic products and agricultural goods to Central Asian and European markets.

Since its May launch, the "Smart Port plus Local Fast Customs Clearance" system has reduced the customs clearance of imported goods from 2 to 3 days to under 16 hours, while that of exported goods now take just 1 hour compared to the previous 6 hours.

"Since the beginning of this year, the station has maintained peak operational capacity, utilizing parallel process to reduce train dwell times, handling over 800 freight trains monthly," said Li Ankang, deputy director of Horgos Station's operations center.

So far more than 47,000 freight trains operating on 87 routes have reached their destinations in Central Asia and Europe via Horgos Port, which has become an important logistics channel connecting China and Eurasia.

White House seeks 1.5 trillion USD in defense spending in 2027 budget proposal

The White House Office of Management and Budget released its 2027 budget proposal on Friday, which would raise U.S. defense spending to 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars while reducing funding for domestic programs.

The budget plan "builds on the president's vision by continuing to constrain non-defense spending and reform the federal government," according to a document published on the White House website.

At a White House event on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump highlighted the defense spending as a priority, noting that domestic responsibilities such as health care should be shifted to the states.

"We're fighting wars. We can't take care of day care. You got to let a state take care of day care, and they should pay for it, too," Trump said.

Aside from cuts to health programs, the White House budget proposal also includes cuts to refugee resettlement aid, renewable energy projects, university grants and housing programs, among others.

The president's annual budget is often seen as a reflection of the administration's priorities, though Congress ultimately holds the authority over federal spending.

The release of the White House 2027 budget proposal came as Congress remains deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, with Democrats pushing for immigration enforcement reforms that Republicans refuse to accept. This led to a partial government shutdown that has stretched on for nearly seven weeks.