BEIJING: A cargo train loaded with 500 tonnes of commodities left Kunming in China for Karachi on Wednesday, marking the opening of a direct rail and sea freight service.
A Chinese news agency reported that the service a
ims to link China’s southwest Yunnan province with Pakistan’s largest port at Karachi. The Xinhua New
s report said that the freight line would cut logistics cos
ts, including those associated with transport, by over 50
percent as compared to past services.
A representative from the New Silk Road Yunnan Limited wa
s reported to have said that the route would help local businesses to connect with the world market.
The service is a part of China’s Maritime Silk Road initiative, of which the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an extension.
Pakistan and China kicked off the first trade activities under CPEC in October
when over a hundred Chinese containers arrived at the Sust port in Upper Hunza. These containers reached Gwadar in November and were shipped off to markets around the world.
