A drone photo taken on Oct. 23, 2026 shows China-Europe freight trains ready for departure at Manzhouli Railway Station in Manzhouli, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo by Huang Xu/Xinhua)

China-Europe freight trains, a flagship project and signature brand of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), are now carrying full loads in both directions, with return trips slightly outnumbering outbound journeys, officials said here Wednesday.

The service operated 18,661 trains and carried 1.865 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) in the first 10 months of 2026, up 14.6 percent and 11.2 percent year on year, respectively, Liang Linchong, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference.

Return trains totaled 9,360, against 9,301 outbound during the period, and the loaded container ratio has stayed at 100 percent for 50 consecutive months as of October, according to Liang.

The land network behind the service has also widened. The trans-Caspian line now operates daily, and the northern, central and southern routes of China-Europe freight trains have maintained stable operations.

Liang said the next phase for China-Europe freight trains would focus on four systems: efficient transport, safety governance, diversified routes and innovative development.

Beyond rail, a canal opened this year gives China's southwestern inland regions a direct route to the sea, and air links now reach 159 cities in 66 BRI partner countries.

China has signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations, Liang noted.

Growing connectivity has been accompanied by growing trade. In the first three quarters, China's imports from partner countries grew 17.9 percent, 1.3 percentage points faster than its exports to them, according to official data. Trade with those partners has stayed above half of China's total goods trade since 2024.

The corridor's financing arrangements have evolved alongside its traffic. Some 28 countries have endorsed Guiding Principles on Financing the Development of the Belt and Road, and China has promoted a debt sustainability framework for project analysis, Liang said.

Trade rules have expanded as well. China has signed 19 free trade agreements with 25 Belt and Road partner countries and 92 bilateral investment treaties with partners, Song Lihong, an official with the Ministry of Commerce, told the briefing.

In October, the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, initiated and spearheaded by China, saw 26 countries signing in the first round. The convention creates a negotiable cargo document applicable to all cross-border transport modes.

Beyond large infrastructure projects, smaller ones with tangible benefits for local communities have also expanded. China's Juncao technology, which uses a type of grass to cultivate edible mushrooms and as livestock feed, is now used in more than 110 countries, and Luban Workshops, China's vocational education brand, operate 38 sites in 32 countries, among which 36 sites are in Belt and Road partner countries.

It was noted at the briefing that the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) includes a dedicated chapter on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. "We will continue to improve the 'four-in-one' connectivity network of land, sea, air and cyberspace," said Liang.