China-Europe freight trains had maintained a 100-percent loaded container ratio for 50 consecutive months as of October, with transport efficiency and cargo volume continuously growing this year, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
The loaded container ratio refers to the proportion of loaded containers among all dispatched containers, a core indicator of cargo supply, operational efficiency and market vitality.
From January to October, the trains made 18,661 trips and carried 1.865 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods, up 14.6 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively, year on year, according to the NDRC. A regular 22 services run each week, linking nine Chinese cities with six European cities and precisely matching cross-border transport demand.
"By October, China-Europe freight trains had remained 100 percent loaded-container rate for 50 consecutive months. Trains were fully loaded on both outbound and return trips, remarkably lowering the overall logistics costs. People have become ever more felt the benefits of the services. The trains carry goods, while upgradeing the 'shopping carts' of people in countries along the route," said Liang Linchong, director of the NDRC Department of Regional Opening-Up.
Liang said Chinese consumers can use China-Europe freight train trade platforms to buy European products, while consumers in Europe can purchase China-made goods.
"Chinese consumers can use China-Europe freight train trade platforms to directly purchase Spanish wine, Dutch cheese and other high-quality European products. European consumers can also directly buy China-made smart home appliances and daily necessities. Consumers at home and abroad all enjoy more shopping options and have gained tangible benefits. It happens to be the 'Double Eleven' online shopping spree today and your shopping carts may include quality goods brought across mountains and seas by the freight trains," he said.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the NDRC will continue to improve the organization of China-Europe freight train services, make customs clearance more convenient and expand diverse, resilient transport routes, Liang said.
China-Europe freight trains keep full load for 50 months
China-Europe freight trains keep full load for 50 months
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and China Global Television Network (CGTN) have hosted a side event on green transition at the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Antalya, Türkiye.
Titled "Global Open Class: Green Transition in Action" and held at the China Pavilion, the event brought together experts for a roundtable discussion on global climate action.
The roundtable explored how technology, leadership and communication can accelerate the green transition, and how China's experience can be adapted to the needs of different countries.
The event featured the release of four practical guides drawing on Chinese sustainable development cases and the launch of two global capacity-development initiatives. The guides addressed smart mobility, rural circular economies, climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, among other areas.
Participants also watched the trailer for CGTN's new documentary film Path to Zero, which explores how China is changing the way it powers daily life, how its industries operate and how communities care for the places they call home.
He Guojun, director of the Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), said that reliable data are essential for effective environmental action.
"First, how to address the information problem, where you need basically a monitoring network that covers almost everything, so that you have air quality monitoring, water quality monitoring, soil quality monitoring, and they have to cover all the sectors. Having that information is fundamental," said He.
Michael Adalla, senior program officer of UNITAR's Division for Prosperity, said the "Global Open Class: Green Transition in Action" side event created a space to share expertise and insights.
"The open classroom that we have done today (Nov 9), the global open classroom, has been very well received as part of sharing of ideas, sharing of expertise, sharing insights. And this is a basis of what we could provide with the developing countries," said Adalla.
Adalla also stressed that a key focus must be human capital.
"It's important to build skills at the individual level, build skills at the capacity level. The most sustainable investment is to empower people to bring knowledge into action," said Adalla.
Special event on green transition held at COP31
