China aims for high quality in new land-sea corridor development

China is looking to spur high-quality development of the new land-sea corridor in its western region over the next five years in a bid to further boost socioeconomic development in western China, according to the country's top economic regulator.

The National Development and Reform Commission on Thursday unveiled a new plan to promote the high-quality development of the new western land-sea corridor during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

The plan aims to build an economical, efficient, convenient, green and safe land-sea corridor for the western region by 2025. By then, the operation of the three major routes connecting Chengdu, Sichuan province, Chongqing and Beibu Gulf port in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region will become more efficient with better transportation capacity and logistics services, playing a key role in driving the economic and industrial development along the routes.

The new land-sea corridor will extend primarily from Chengdu and Chongqing to Beibu Gulf Port and Yangpu Port in Hainan province. It will also better connect China's inland northwestern region to major ports in the south.

Under the plan, the combined sea-rail transportation along the new land-sea corridor in western China is set to complete 500,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) by 2025. And container throughput at Beibu Gulf Port and Yangpu Port is set to respectively reach 10 million and 5 million TEUs by 2025.

By then, a large and unified regional market will be built in the new land-sea corridor in western China, with improved customs clearance and logistics services.