On December 10, 2025, a China Europe freight train loaded with household appliances and digital products set off from Manzhouli Port with its horn sounding. The departure of this train marks the achievement of a key milestone - since 2025, the number of trains passing through the three major ports of Manzhouli, Suifenhe, and Tongjiang in the East China Europe Railway Express has exceeded 5166, and the total amount of goods transported has exceeded 530000 TEUs. This is not only an impressive set of numbers, but also a vivid reflection of China's strong momentum in high-level opening-up to the outside world.

A comprehensive upgrade from the Steel Camel Squad to the Golden Passage

The China Europe East Railway Corridor has grown from an exploratory route in its early stages to a core logistics artery that combines efficiency and value on the Eurasian Continental Bridge. The categories of goods transported have expanded from a few dozen to over a thousand, with high value-added products such as laptops, refrigerators, and finished cars becoming frequent customers in the carriages. At present, the 27 stable operating routes of the East Passage, like a dense vascular network, penetrate into the industrial hinterland of more than 60 domestic cities such as Changsha, Zhengzhou, and Chengdu in China on one end, and extend to 14 European countries such as Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands on the other end, efficiently connecting the consumer markets and production bases of Asia and Europe, deeply embedded in the global industrial chain and supply chain system.

Digital ports and infrastructure expansion drive efficiency revolution

Behind the achievements lies a continuous efficiency revolution and infrastructure support. China Railway Harbin Group Co., Ltd. has maximized the potential of the digital port system through a series of "combination measures" such as prioritizing planning, coordinating customs border inspections, and promoting paperless customs clearance. By optimizing the pick-up process and reducing inspection time, the clearance time for trains at ports can now be controlled within 30 minutes, with an overall efficiency improvement of nearly 10%, ensuring the smooth flow of international logistics arteries. Looking ahead to the future, the expansion and renovation project of Jiamusi Tongjiang Railway is accelerating. After the completion of the project, the throughput capacity of Tongjiang Port is expected to triple, providing a solid guarantee for the sustained growth of cross-border transportation demand and promoting the operation of trains towards higher quality, better efficiency, and safer direction.

This steel Silk Road spanning Asia and Europe has far exceeded the scope of simple transportation vehicles. It is not only an important link for Chinese manufacturing to go global, but also an open platform for countries along the route to share development opportunities. Every year, over 5000 trains run tirelessly, conveying not only a dazzling array of goods, but also China's firm commitment to continuously promoting connectivity and jointly promoting economic and trade prosperity with other countries. With the further expansion of port capacity and the continuous optimization of operation mode, the China EU Ban Liedong Corridor will play an increasingly critical role in building a new development pattern and serving the high-quality development of the the Belt and Road.Editor/Cheng Liting