A staff member operates a crane to handle a container of the China-Europe freight train at the Kazakhstani land port for Xi'an in Almaty, Kazakhstan, June 23, 2026.

In November 2013, the first Chang'an China-Europe freight train departed from Xi'an to Almaty in Kazakhstan, making the two cities ever since become key transit hubs along Asia-Europe transportation route.

Since the first China-Central Asia Summit held in 2023, China and Kazakhstan have innovated their modes of cooperation by launching modern logistics facilities in each other's territories.

The trade volume between the two countries via the China-Europe freight trains reached 5.32 billion yuan (about 781.34 million U.S. dollars) in 2025, an increase of 19.1 percent. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)