The special train, consisting of a total of 100 standard containers with equipment, spare parts and essentials, is the 18th international line of the China-SCO Pilot Zone in Qingdao, aimed at further expanding the interconnectedness between China and the countries of Central Asia and Europe.

The train is expected to arrive in Samarkand in about 10 days.

The opening of the Qingdao-Samarkand special line is an important initiative of the China-SCO Pilot Zone to implement the spirit of the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States, held on September 15-16 in the historic city of Samarkand.

According to the organizers, the new route will further expand the international logistics channel between China and the countries of Central Asia and further Europe, deepening economic and trade cooperation between friendly states by building a "steel bridge" on the New Silk Road.

It should be noted that to date, the China-SCO Pilot Zone has opened 17 international railway lines in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Hamburg (Germany) and others. As a result, 523 trains were sent on the China- Europe route from January to August 2022, which is 46.1% more compared to the same period last year.

In the future, it is planned to expand the geography of rail transportation from China to Europe at the expense of 22 countries along the SCO and "One Belt and One Road", the news agency "Doone" reports.

Recall that the China-SCO Pilot Zone has been constantly expanding friendly and pragmatic cooperation with Uzbekistan since its foundation. Partnerships have been established with the Free Economic Zone "Jizzakh" and the Industrial Park "Penshen" in the Syrdarya region. A branch of the Commodity Exchange of Uzbekistan and the first Chinese-Uzbek offshore incubator are located in the Pilot zone "China - SCO" to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in digital trade, science and technology, and other areas.