On September 23, the 15th Annual Meeting of the Chongqing Mayor's International Economic Advisory Council was held online. This year's annual meeting was themed with "Building an Inland Opening-up Hub and Improving Chongqing's Internationalization Level." Over the past year, Chongqing has fully integrated into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to build itself into an inland opening-up hub.

Extending in four directions to accelerate building inland international logistics hub

Chongqing has integrated four transportation modes of rail, road, water, and air extending in four directions, thereby bolstering the construction of onshore and offshore exit routes.

In the east, the Chongqing-Shanghai Express Line has been launched on the Yangtze River Golden Waterway. In the west, China Railway Express (Yuxinou) functions in a wider range. In the south, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) has witnessed a thorough implementation of overall planning. In the north, the Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia International Railway trains have increased rapidly, totaling 819 trains operating throughout the year, rising by more than three times.

As to air transport, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport has now had a total of 95 international and regional air routes.

In 2020, Chongqing has further improved its open channels and launched the construction of China-Singapore (Chongqing) Multimodal Transportation Demonstration Base, in an effort to effectively respond to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Chongqing has also innovated the point-to-point special line transportation service of China Railway Express and launched the China Post special train of China Railway Express (Yuxinou).

Four ports opened to accelerate the building inland port hub

Data from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce show that in 2019, there were a total of 204 signed projects of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, with a total value of over USD 30 billion.

The import-export volume of comprehensive bonded areas, bonded port areas, and bonded logistics centers accounted for more than 60% of the city's total.

Up to now, Chongqing has opened four ports, including designated ports for nine categories of special imports.

Through further advancing the construction of smart ports, the main business application rate of the single window of international trade has reached 100%. All ports and customs supervision sites have been included in the round-the-clock assurance model of customs clearance service.

As of December 2019, the overall customs clearance time for imports and exports at Chongqing ports had been reduced by 67.96% and 95.56%, respectively, compared with 2017.

The customs of 15 places along the ILSTC have signed the MOU to support ILSTC development in Chongqing. Additionally, Chongqing has led the field in implementing a range of pilot policies such as the Partnership Program of Customs-Railway Operators Promoting Safe and Fast Customs Clearance of China Railway Express of China-Kazakhstan Customs, and catalyzing the China-Singapore customs cooperation.

An increase of 11% in foreign trade import-export volume contributing to the overall stability of the open economy

In 2019, the import-export volume of foreign trade recorded 579.28 billion yuan, up 11% than 2018, and 7.6 percentage points higher than the national average growth rate.

ASEAN, EU, and the USA have become Chongqing's three largest foreign trade markets, and the growth rate of Chongqing's import-export volume to countries along the BRI has exceeded 30%.

The value of newly signed contracts and completed turnover of foreign contracted projects in countries along the BRI both accounted for more than 60% of the city's totals.

Chongqing is home to 6,500-plus foreign investment market entities and 293 Fortune Global 500 companies.

Stay duration of transit visa exemption extended to 144 hours to optimize the business environment further

Currently, Chongqing has two international schools for children of foreigners, six China-foreign joint venture and cooperative hospitals, and one wholly foreign-owned hospital. The stay duration of the transit visa exemption policy for foreigners has been extended to 144 hours.

Apart from that, Chongqing has innovated the foreign investment management service mechanism, dug into the reconstruction of the whole-process service system for foreign investment, and strengthened interim and ex-post supervision. Efforts have also been made to prompt the construction of a public service platform for intellectual property rights and enhance the protection of intellectual property rights.

Friendly ties expanded to accelerate building an international exchange center in central and western China

Chongqing has stepped up its efforts to build an international exchange center in the central and western China and cooperation platforms. The linking role of exhibition activities has come into play.

Chongqing has explored the construction of an international exchange center for the central and western China in the Liangjiang New Area, built the Chongqing Liangjiang International Cooperation Center, and introduced 15 international cooperation organizations.

With active efforts in adding consulates, Chongqing is expected to boast 12 consulates, ranking second in the central and western China.

Chongqing has expanded its friendly ties with foreign cities, totaling 48 international sister cities and 104 friendly exchange cities.

Apart from that, Sichuan and Chongqing have teamed up to steadily expedite the coordinated opening of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in the construction of pilot free trade zones and ILSTC.