HARBIN - China has opened a land-to-ocean route service on Wednesday that links Northeast China's Heilongjiang province with Republic of Korea (ROK) through a Russian port.

The first freight train carrying 144 containers of plastic particle products used for auto parts left Harbin city for a port in Russia's far eastern Primorsky Krai region, from where the containers will be sent to the Busan in ROK by sea.

"The land-to-ocean route will promote Heilongjiang's closer cooperation on trade and economy with ROK and Japan," said a spokesperson from the provincial commission of development and reform.

The train, which can cut travel time and costs, will be run each week to transport grain, wood and industrial raw materials to ROK, Japan and even China's own coastal regions.