OREANDA-NEWS. The new freight train on the route China - Europe launched in the central Chinese province of Henan. It connects the regional administrative center of Zhengzhou city with Moscow, Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday. "The new route will help reduce transportation costs for companies seeking to develop the Russian market", the agency quoted the statement as the initiator of the new international route to Zhengzhou International Hub Development and Construction.

Bilateral trade between the PRC and the Russian Federation has been growing in recent years, China has been Russia's largest trading partner for nine consecutive years, Xinhua said. “Rapid growth has also been recorded in trade between Russia and Henan. Food, wine and drinks are the main imports from Russia, while electronic products and steel products form the basis of this region’s exports to Russia”, the agency said.

The Sino-European freight rail service is one of the most important transport directions of the Chinese initiative "One Belt - One Way". It began to operate in 2011 and has been growing rapidly since then. From Zhengzhou, the first freight train went to Hamburg in July 2013. Currently, 12 Chinese cities, the largest industrial hubs, have freight rail links with Europe.

Earlier, authorities in the Chinese province of Henan announced the launch of a new transport route Zhengzhou - Munich. The first freight train with Chinese electronics and other goods on the eve left the provincial capital and went to Germany. The duration of the trip will be about 15 days. In April 2016, China established regular rail links between Guangdong and Germany. Freight trains will depart from China to Europe every Thursday.