The first charted train for importing traditional Chinese herbs from Vietnam started operation on May 5 at Pingxiang Railway Checkpoint, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The train is loaded with 15 metric tons of suberect spatholobus stems that were harvested in Vietnam. Of note, the train will be put into regular operation to help boost all-round cooperation in TCM industries between China and Vietnam.

Pingxiang, a county-level city in Chongzuo, is the largest checkpoint city on the China-Vietnam border. It is the most convenient road transport channel for China to access Vietnam and other ASEAN countries.

Guangxi currently has formed an opening-up and cooperation pattern in the TCM industry that covers more than 40 countries and regions, especially ASEAN countries, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

The region has gradually become a major importer of TCM materials from ASEAN. Categories and volume of TCM materials imported from ASEAN countries via Guangxi have been surging in recent years and the total cargo value imported annually in Guangxi has ranked first China for two consecutive years.

Guangxi now has five checkpoints for importing and exporting TCM materials, namely Nanning, Dongxing, Pingxiang, Longbang and Aidian. The region is expected to become a national base serving TCM exports and will probe into the innovative development by integrating the internet and TCM materials trade.