CHENGDU, Dec. 7 (NBD) -- A planning aimed at structuring an open, modern and efficient international land transport system by 2020 has recently been jointly released by China's eight central departments.

In collective efforts given by Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, General Administration of Customs and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the move will help facilitating connectivity among countries along the Belt and Road.

Wang Shuiping, a senior official of the Ministry of Transport, introduced at the press conference held Tuesday in Beijing that the move is to develop economic corridors with countries along the Belt and Road, cut down cross-border overland transport costs and raise transport services and efficiency.

According to the planning, China will optimize transport infrastructure construction along the Belt and Road, improve customs clearance efficiency and strengthen emergency rescue capabilities to facilitate international road transport.

On the same day, a freight train service linking China's inland city Xi'an with Moscow also began operations. The cross-border journey will take 11 days, much shorter when compared to the traditional 45-day land or sea route. It is the third China-Europe freight train from Xi'an following those to Warsaw and Hamburg.

Like Xi'an, Many other Chinese cities, including Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Harbin, have launched freight services to boost trade with central Asia and Europe in recent years.

Figure showed that there were 1,881 China-Europe cargo trains in service as of the end of June, which transported imports and exports worth 17 billion U.S. dollars.

Some 43 transport hubs will be created by 2020, and 43 railway lines will be built.