Xi’an, 18–19 November 2025 – Held under the theme “Connecting Asia and Europe for a Shared Future,” the 2nd China–Europe International Railway Forum took place in Xi’an, China. The event gathered around 450 representatives of governments, transport companies, and the logistics sector from more than 40 countries. The main focus of the forum was cooperation between China and the countries of Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
One of the most important events was the signing of a series of strategic documents by the leadership of NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ). Among them was an agreement on the accession of China Railway (CR), represented by the operator China Railway Container Transport (CRCT), to the joint venture Middle Corridor Multimodal, established in 2023 by the railways of Kazakhstan (KTZ), Georgia (GR), and Azerbaijan (ADY).
In addition, an intergovernmental agreement was signed between China and the five Central Asian countries to deepen cooperation in freight transport on the China–Europe routes. At the same time, KTZ, ADY, GR, CRCT, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route Association (TITR), and the Xi’an dry port signed a document on the joint development of TITR as part of the Middle Transport Corridor.
The forum also saw the signing of a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation between KTZ Express, a KTZ subsidiary, and China’s YXE Trading Service Group. The document aims to develop joint logistics services, improve the efficiency of the China–Europe route, and promote TITR. Additionally, KTZ signed cooperation memoranda with the China Development Bank and the China Export-Import Bank, as well as several business agreements with Chinese logistics operators.
China places particular emphasis on developing TITR infrastructure and building the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, which is expected to support stable and efficient transport between Asia and Europe.
Transport data shows dynamic growth in cooperation: over the past 10 years, freight volumes between China and Kazakhstan have increased 4.5 times, while the number of containers has grown fivefold. In the first 10 months of 2025, more than 29 million tonnes of goods were transported, marking an 11% increase compared to the previous year. Forecasts for the end of the year predict reaching 35 million tonnes.
The agreements signed in Xi’an highlight KTZ’s growing international role and Kazakhstan’s determination to strengthen the country’s position as a key link in Eurasian logistics and transit. The documents open up new opportunities for integrating transport systems, increasing transit potential, and enhancing trade cooperation between Asia and Europe.
