Chongqing seeks bigger global trade role through logistics

Chongqing city, the economic hub of West China, has vowed to make greater use of its well-connected transport position to boost imports and exports.

Deputies to the National People's Congress from the Chongqing delegation made the remarks on Friday at an open-day event, as the China's top legislature holds its annual session in Beijing. During the session, lawmakers are reviewing the draft outline of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan.

Yuan Jiajun, Party secretary of Chongqing, said the city is the only comprehensive transport hub in western China that integrates rail, road, river and air transport, and is also the country's first city to host all five types of national logistics hubs — port, land port, airport, production-service and commercial-service hubs.

"As a hub, the key is to fully play our role in connecting China with the world," he said, citing Chongqing's current transport links with Southeast Asia and Europe.

Chongqing serves as the logistics center of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor which now reaches 586 ports in 127 countries and regions worldwide, said the senior official, who is also an NPC deputy.

The corridor, a key logistics network connecting China's western regions to global markets, includes rail-sea inter-modal transport, international railway services and cross-border road transport, covering 13 provincial-level regions and two cities.

The city has launched fast freight train services that leave China via Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, cross the Caspian Sea and Black Sea, and reach Türkiye, extending coverage to North Africa, Yuan said, noting that the full journey takes less than 25 days, about 10 days faster than traditional transport methods.

In addition to railway advantages, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport currently operates 59 international routes connecting 34 countries and regions, he said.

For a hub city like Chongqing, the city leader said, the most important thing is to integrate into the global economy through transport, using logistics to drive trade, and then using trade to spur industrial development and clustering.

According to official data, the city's total foreign trade grew 12 percent last year. Among that, Chongqing's trade with ASEAN and Europe rose 13 percent and 10 percent respectively, with ASEAN becoming Chongqing's largest trading partner.

Trade with emerging markets such as Latin America, Africa and Central Asia increased by 22 percent, 39 percent and 92 percent respectively.