YINING, Xinjiang -- China has opened motor transport routes to central Asia and European countries as six fully loaded trucks headed for France on Wednesday from Helgus port, the biggest land port in west China.

The opening of the routes will reduce the time it takes to transport cargo between China and Europe, giving businessmen home and abroad a safe, efficient, lower-cost and convenient logistics channel, said Abdusalam Sadek, mayor of Yining city of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which borders Kazakhstan.

The motor transport routes were initiated by the Yili WIL-CAN Cargo Group from China and France's Comex Holdings International Ltd..

A total of 50 trucks containing products from China are expected to be sent to central Asian, Russia and European countries every day by road from the end of this year, according to Cao Ganyun, executive director of the Yili WIL-CAN Cargo Group.

By 2014, 500 trucks of products will be transported every day, he said.

China's trade with central Asia and Europe has boomed in recent years. There is a huge demand for motor logistics in the region as shipping takes a much longer time.

Yining is 90 km from the Helgus port and is one of China's gateway cities to central Asia.