Talgat Aldybergenov, Chairman of the Management Board of JSC “NC ‘Kazakhstan Temir Zholy’” (KTZ), held talks with Zhou Jin, Mayor of the Chinese port city of Lianyungang, to discuss the expansion of joint logistics projects and investment cooperation. A key outcome of the meeting was the confirmation of readiness to launch the “Aktau International Container Hub” LLP; preparatory work for the facility has been fully completed, and operations are scheduled to begin before the end of June of this year.
The parties focused particularly on establishing a unified logistics chain linking the port of Lianyungang, the Khorgos Gateway dry port, and the future container hub in Aktau. Such integration will enable end-to-end transportation from the Yellow Sea coast – via Kazakhstan and the Caspian region – towards the Caucasus, Turkey, and Europe, thereby creating a sustainable transit corridor between Asia and Europe. Aldybergenov emphasized that over a decade of cooperation with Lianyungang has established a solid foundation for developing modern international routes and enhancing transport efficiency.
Lianyungang, one of China’s largest ports and a pivotal point of the Eurasian Land Bridge, plays a crucial role in the “Belt and Road Initiative,” in which KTZ has participated since 2013. It is noted that the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route continues to show growth: by the end of 2025, transport volume reached 42,000 TEUs (a 15% increase), and it rose by another 26% during the first five months of 2026. The parties reaffirmed their commitment to the continued joint development of transport corridors and the strengthening of the logistics partnership between Kazakhstan and China along the Eurasian route.