The first "Zhejiang-Xinjiang-Kyrgyzstan" train departs from Jinhua in December 2023. [Photo/jinhua.com.cn]

The Bedel Port on the China-Kyrgyzstan border began its temporary opening on Sept 3. Trucks laden with a variety of goods crossed the border, bound for Kyrgyzstan, with nearly 70 percent of the goods from Yiwu, a county-level city in Jinhua, Zhejiang province.

A total of 1,130 items, mainly consisting of household appliances like induction cookers, vacuum cleaners, and juicers, were transported from Jinhua to Aksu Railway Station in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region via the Zhejiang-Xinjiang-Kyrgyzstan train.

The Zhejiang-Xinjiang-Kyrgyzstan train for supporting Xinjiang's development was first launched in December 2023, serving as a new export corridor to Central Asia. The train transports domestic trade goods to regions in southern Xinjiang and foreign trade goods to Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asia countries.

Merchants in Yiwu have welcomed the opening of the Bedel Port. "The opening of the port shortens transportation times and reduces costs. More Central Asian customers will rush to Yiwu to make purchases, which will boost our confidence," said Zhang Shidan, a merchant at the Yiwu International Trade Market.

Construction is progressing swiftly on essential infrastructure at the Bedel Port, and it will achieve year-round operation by 2027. The "Zhejiang (Jinhua)-Aksu (Bedel)-Kyrgyzstan" route is poised to emerge as a vital corridor for Zhejiang's goods to enter Central Asia.

Editor: Xu Zhitian