China-Europe Chang'an freight train (Xi'an-Tashkent) designated for exports of ZTE departs from Xi'an on May 30. [Photo/WeChat account of Xi'an release]

A specialized China-Europe Chang'an freight train, exclusively designated for the exports of Chinese telecommunications company ZTE, embarked on its journey from Xi'an International Port Station in Shaanxi province on May 30.

This route, known as the Xi'an-Tashkent line, will transport ZTE's equipment to Uzbekistan's capital, Tashkent, via Horgos Port in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The estimated travel time for the train is approximately 10 days.

The freight train is loaded with 50 containers carrying various ZTE products, including microwave antennas, base station antennas, fixed line cards, and cables without connectors, worth over 100 million yuan ($14.07 million).

The ZTE Xi'an Railway Hub Center is unveiled. [Photo/WeChat account of Xi'an release]

Coinciding with this occasion, the unveiling of the ZTE Xi'an Railway Hub Center took place. Liu Jianfeng, vice president and chief trade security officer of ZTE, expressed, "ZTE will take Xi'an International Port Station as the central hub of our business operations in Central Asia. By utilizing the China-Europe Chang'an freight train, we aim to significantly increase the volume and variety of ZTE products exported to Central Asia."

In line with this development, all ZTE products destined for Central Asian countries will be exclusively transported via the China-Europe Chang'an freight train.

Since the inception of the Belt and Road Initiative a decade ago, the China-Europe Chang'an freight train has experienced remarkable growth and development.

As of the end of April 2023, the freight train had completed a total of 17,643 trips, with 4,294 of those being to Central Asia. The network now spans 17 trunk lines, effectively covering the entire Eurasian continent.