JINAN, April 30 (Xinhua) -- East China's Shandong Province has sent a total 214 freight trains to Asian and European countries in the first quarter, up 251 percent year on year, officials said here Monday.

Five new routes linking Shandong with cities in Europe, Mongolia and Southeast Asia such as Duisburg, Ulan Bator and Hanoi were launched in the period, Shao Zewu, deputy head of the provincial state-owned assets supervision and administration commission, told a press conference held by the provincial government.

Shao said so far nine Shandong cities have been connected to 19 freight train routes that lead to 47 destinations, including 39 cities along the Belt and Road in a sea-rail combined transport network.

The network has greatly boosted the efficiency of economic and trade cooperation between Shandong and Asian and European countries, Shao said.