Trial of new road connecting China, Mongolia, Russia begins

URUMQI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The trial of an international road transport route connecting China, Mongolia and Russia on the Asia Highway 4 (AH4) began on Friday morning in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

A launch ceremony kicked off at 10 a.m. Friday, with a fleet of nine trucks dispatched by China, Mongolia and Russia departing from the multimodal transport center in the Urumqi International Land Port Area, set to exit China via the Takixken road port.

The trucks will proceed through Mongolia and Russia, arriving ultimately in Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city.

The entire trial-run route covers approximately 2,253 kilometers, with about 577 kilometers located in China, 758 kilometers in Mongolia and 918 kilometers in Russia. A reception ceremony for the convoy is set to be held in Novosibirsk on Sept. 28.

The new route is the second international road transport channel connecting China, Mongolia and Russia, following the Asia Highway 3 (AH3) route. It will promote the orderly flow of resources and their efficient allocation, and deepen market integration within the region. It also plays a pivotal role in shaping the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor, Ministry of Transport official Xuan Dengdian said at the launch ceremony.

Xinjiang is located at the heart of the Eurasian continent and serves as a transportation hub in the core region of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

To date, China has engaged in international road transport cooperation with 21 countries, and 68 ports in China have opened international road transport services.?