Imports and exports going through key transportation hubs in China have witnessed growth during the first half of the year, boosting the Chinese economy together with an increasingly hot tourism market, CCTV.com reported on Sunday.

As the most important transportation hub between China and Central Asia and Central Europe, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region registered total foreign trade volume of 185.64 billion yuan ($25.54 billion) from Jan to May this year, up 52.1 percent on a yearly basis, ranking second in terms of growth rate nationwide.

Alashankou Port and Khorgos Port in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region are the two most important railway ports to Central Asia and Europe in China, with more than 40 percent of China-Europe freight trains passing through these two ports. This year, the number of China-Europe (or China-Asia) freight trains passing through these two ports exceeds 40 daily.

In the first half of 2024, 7,746 China-Europe freight train trips passed through the Alashankou and Khorgos ports, an increase of 8.2 percent year-on-year, the report said.

Nowadays, the category of goods transported at the two ports has increased from the original daily necessities and ores to more than 200 kinds, including wood, chemicals, machineries, cotton yarn, building materials, new energy vehicles, and electronic products.

In recent years, home-made new energy vehicles have become popular overseas, and cars from Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an, Zhengzhou and other places are exported to Central Asia, Europe and other regions via Alashankou and Khorgos ports, providing strong support for promoting the construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt.