Aksu-Ningbo Zhoushan Port rail-sea line opens. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

The newly opened Aksu-Ningbo Zhoushan Port rail-sea line is strengthening trade ties between western China and the coast. Its first train, carrying Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region's long-staple cotton, arrived on Oct 6 — marking the port's longest inland route and a new milestone in west-east logistics integration.