TIANJIN, August 18. /TASS/. Thursday’s start-off for the China-Mongolia-Russia motor rally in the Chinese port city Tianjin demonstrated a symbolic way to open freight traffic via a new economic corridor from Asia to Europe.

Russia, China and Mongolia have set off to develop a new system of trans-border transportation links, Director General of Russia's Agency of Automobile Transport Alexei Dvoynykh told TASS on Thursday.

The motor rally seeks to demonstrate the possibilities of international motor freight transportation, by widening economic ties between the countries and eliminating red tape, the organizers emphasized.

Eight heavy trucks will travel over 2,200 kilometers to reach Ulan Ude, the capital of Buryatia, the south-central region of Siberia, on August 24. The participants will drive to China’s Zhangjiakou, which is scheduled to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, Mongolia’s capital Ulan Bator and finally reach Russia’s Gusinoozersk, Ivolginsk and Kyakhta.

"This is a new network of automobile links between Europe (Russia) and Asia (China), and Mongolia as transit country is another player on this shipping operations market," Dvoynykh said, adding: "This is a completely new automobile route. These new mutual ties will help break down barriers allowing the regions and countries along this transport route to develop."

Some 50% of cargo that is to be shipped via the transport corridor would be "foodstuffs, shoes, textiles, furniture, industrial goods, toys and sports equipment from China," Russia’s automobile transport agency head stated.

"The new automobile route will allow the delivery of various export cargos that are produced in Russia’s East Siberian regions. Timber, pulp and paper goods, non-ferrous metals, cars and equipment, including electrical products, and also agricultural goods will be shipped from Russia," he explained.

China’s Deputy Transport Minister Liu Xiaoming said, "I hope that this will help the local administrations, businesses and respective agencies of the three countries to enhance cooperation in transit traffic to boost the development of international automobile transport and create good conditions for it."

This June all three presidents, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and Mongolia’s Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, adopted a program of building an economic corridor between the countries following a trilateral meeting. The economic corridor project between the Russian Federation, China and Mongolia includes some 30 ventures.