Cross-border freight truck launched for Central Asia

(ECNS) -- A launching ceremony for the “Tianfu” cross-border freight truck to Central Asia was held on Sunday in Chengdu City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, during the the Fifth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and five foreign ministers from Central Asian nations attended the the ceremony.

The five foreign ministers are Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kulubaev Zheenbek Moldokanovich, Tajikistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov.

Ten regular vehicles for road transport, loaded with new energy equipment and Sichuan specialty products, departed from Tianfu New Area in Chengdu City on Sunday. After passing through Shaanxi, Gansu, and Xinjiang, the vehicles would head toward Central Asia.

The service now connects 20 cities across five Central Asian countries, with plans to expand and cover major regional cities within the next three years.

According to reports, in recent years, Sichuan Province has aimed to improve land, sea, and air transport connections with the five Central Asian countries, while continuing to expand the scale of cross-border highway shuttle services.

The six ministers jointly inaugurated a China-Central Asia center for the exhibition and promotion as a new platform for enhancing cooperation in trade, education, culture, and tourism.