SHENYANG - Yingkou Port, in the northeastern province of Liaoning, has seen a rise in freight volume despite the sluggish local economy, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative.

During the first nine months of this year, the port registered combined sea-rail freight transport volume of over 340,000 standard containers, up by 9.1 percent year-on-year, said the port management company.

During the first three quarters, the volume of sea-rail combined transport through Yingkou Port accounted for over 56 percent of all ports in northeast China.

As part of Belt and Road efforts, the port now has railway routes to cities such as Moscow, Russia, and Warsaw, Poland.

More cargo from inland areas was processed by the port, as railways helped shorten the time it takes to transport goods to Europe by half compared to traditional marine transport, with logistics cost dropping by some $1,000 per container, according to the company.

The Belt and Road Initiative -- the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road initiative -- brings together countries in Asia, Europe and even Africa via overland and maritime networks.