At noon on July 3, 2024 local time, President Xi Jinping and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev jointly attended the opening ceremony of China-Europe Trans-Caspian Express Route via video link at Akorda in Astana.

Xi Jinping and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev watched a video of the China-Europe Trans-Caspian Express Route project, and heard progress report from the Kazakh project leader. The Chinese project leader then invited the two heads of state to give the order to launch the route.

The two heads of state jointly gave the "start" order. 

As the two heads of state watched in real time the loading of vehicles and containers onto a ship via a large screen, enthusiastic applause erupted on site.

This was the first time Chinese vehicles were delivered to a port on the Caspian Sea through direct road transport, while the China-Europe Railway Express, which originates from China and runs across the Caspian Sea, has been operating smoothly for two years. This marks the formal establishment of a diverse and multidimensional connectivity network integrating road, railway, air and pipeline transport.

Cai Qi and Wang Yi, among others, were present.