Fact-check: Viral video of Chinese freight train to Afghanistan is from Oct 2024

The train marked the first dedicated freight service from Shandong to Hairatan, a key trade and transport hub in Afghanistan’s Balkh Province. It was expected to travel through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before entering Afghanistan via the Termez border crossing.

How it started. An X account identified as an Afghan propaganda account based on its past posts shared avideoof a Chinese train with the following caption on Oct 23: “China has launched its first freight train from Shandong to Hairatan, Afghanistan, carrying goods worth 8 million yuan.

Transit Route: Kazakhstan → Uzbekistan → Afghanistan. The train is expected to reach Afghanistan in approximately 20 days, opening another route for trade between China and Afghanistan.”The post garnered 43,805 views.

On Oct 25, a pro-Iran user on X, based on its past posts and profile picture, shared avideoof a Chinese train with the following caption: “Afghanistan now has a railway connection to China with the help of Iranian engineering firms. Iranian companies have made significant efforts to revive Afghanistan’s rail network, and more tracks are under construction.

Iran now has a new rail route option to China via Afghanistan.”The post garnered 234,425 views. The samevideowas also shared on the same day by another X user with the caption: “Afghanistan now has a railway connection to China with the help of Iranian engineering firms.

Oil: Iran - Afghanistan - China. Pakistan will be sidelined. No way Afghanistan will allow a drop of Iranian oil /LPG into Pakistan.”The post garnered 12,106 views.

The same video was shared by multiple other users on X, as can be seenhere, here, here, hereandhere. MethodologyA fact-check was initiated to verify the viral claim due to its high virality and keen public interest amid tense regional relations.

A keyword search was conducted to verify whether the video was covered by any credible Iranian, Chinese, Afghan or international media outlets in the context of the Shandong-Hairatan freight train’s launch but yielded no results.

A reverse image search was conducted to trace the source of thevideo, which yielded the same visual being shared by Arezo News, an Afghan news channel on Oct 31, 2024. How it started.

An X account identified as an Afghan propaganda account based on its past posts shared avideoof a Chinese train with the following caption on Oct 23: “China has launched its first freight train from Shandong to Hairatan, Afghanistan, carrying goods worth 8 million yuan. Transit Route: Kazakhstan → Uzbekistan → Afghanistan.

The train is expected to reach Afghanistan in approximately 20 days, opening another route for trade between China and Afghanistan.”The post garnered 43,805 views.

On October 25, a pro-Iran user on X, based on its past posts and profile picture, shared avideoof a Chinese train with the following caption: “Afghanistan now has a railway connection to China with the help of Iranian engineering firms. Iranian companies have made significant efforts to revive Afghanistan’s rail network, and more tracks are under construction.

Iran now has a new rail route option to China via Afghanistan.”The post garnered 234,425 views. The samevideowas also shared on the same day by another X user with the caption: “Afghanistan now has a railway connection to China with the help of Iranian engineering firms.

Oil: Iran - Afghanistan - China. Pakistan will be sidelined. No way Afghanistan will allow a drop of Iranian oil /LPG into Pakistan.”The post garnered 12,106 views.

The same video was shared by multiple other users on X, as can be seenhere, here, here, hereandhere. MethodologyA fact-check was initiated to verify the viral claim due to its high virality and keen public interest amid tense regional relations.

A keyword search was conducted to verify whether the video was covered by any credible Iranian, Chinese, Afghan or international media outlets in the context of the Shandong-Hairatan freight train’s launch but yielded no results.

A reverse image search was conducted to trace the source of thevideo, which yielded the same visual being shared by Arezo News, an Afghan news channel on Oct 31, 2024. The video’s caption stated the following: “The Afghan Embassy in China has announced the opening of a railway to transport goods between China and Afghanistan.

The first train loaded with 50 containers of electrical appliances, clothes and other goods will leave the Chinese city of Nantong and arrive in Hairatan port in northern Afghanistan in 20 days, the Afghan embassy in China said in a statement.”A keyword search yielded areportby Afghan outlet.

Kabul Now, published on October 31, 2024, titled “China and Afghanistan resumes direct freight train services”. The report stated that Chinese and Taliban officials had announced the resumption of direct freight train services between China and Afghanistan.

China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, confirmed that a freight train carrying 55 wagons had departed from Nantong, Jiangsu Province, bound for Afghanistan, marking a step toward strengthening bilateral trade relations. Anotherreportby. Afghanistan International, published on October 31, 2024, titled “Taliban announces launch of direct freight railway line Between China & Afghanistan,” also reported on the development.

The reports focused on the resumption of direct freight train services between China and Afghanistan in October 2024. Fact-check status: misleading. The claim that a viral video shows a newly launched freight train from China to Afghanistan is misleading.

The video dates back to October 2024 and relates to the launch of a direct freight railway line from China’s Nantong to Afghanistan’s Hairatan port. This fact check was originally published byi. Verify Pakistan— a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.