NANJING, Nov. 30 -- The number of China-Europe freight train trips has increased rapidly in recent years, helping stabilize the international supply chain, according to the provincial government of east China's Jiangsu.

From 2016 to 2021, the number of China-Europe freight trains increased by 55 percent year on year, with the annual freight volume rising nine times, according to a press conference held on the sidelines of the China-Europe railway express cooperation forum being held in Jiangsu's Lianyungang.

As of the end of October this year, 82 China-Europe freight train routes had been launched reaching 204 cities in 24 European countries. These routes have handled 62,000 freight train trips, transporting 5.76 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods.

At present, five cities in Jiangsu including Nanjing and Lianyungang are operating 23 routes, reaching nearly 80 cities in Europe, Central Asia and Southeast Asia. From January to November this year, the number of freight train trips between Jiangsu and Europe reached 1,800, up 12 percent year on year.

The freight train service has boosted friendly exchanges at the regional level, according to Jiangsu's foreign affairs department. The province has inked 354 international sister-city partnerships with 64 countries.