China's Jiangsu handles rising number of international freight trains

NANJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- East China's Jiangsu Province currently operates 24 China-Europe and China-Asia railway routes, linking five of its cities with nearly 80 international train stations in over 20 countries, the provincial government said Wednesday.

Jiangsu, situated in an area where the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road converge, was one of the first provinces in China to launch international freight trains, according to a round-table conference held by Jiangsu's foreign affairs office in Nanjing, the provincial capital.

To date, five cities in Jiangsu including Nanjing, Xuzhou, Suzhou, Lianyungang and Nantong have operated China-Europe and China-Asia freight trains.

From January to October this year, Jiangsu's total number of international freight trains surged 14.2 percent year on year to reach a record high of 1,854, with their cargo value hitting 26.21 billion yuan (about 3.65 billion U.S. dollars), up 12.3 percent year on year.