Chongqing- A "cloud" press conference of the Chongqing Two Sessions was held in Chongqing on January 21, where the deputies to the NPC and members of the CPPCC Chongqing gathered around and proposed suggestions on how to promote the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle in southwestern China.

They concluded that one of the primary tasks was to strengthen transportation infrastructure construction between Chengdu and Chongqing.

Highlights of the 13th Five-Year Plan Period

Xu Ren'an, Director of  Chongqing Transportation Bureau, said the year 2020 was extraordinary. The transportation bureau strived to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the flood, fight against poverty through means of transportation, and realize a successful completion of the three-year action plan of transportation construction during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020).

The Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle's construction is to accelerate the building of a comprehensive international transportation and gateway hub in the western region. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the construction of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport T3B Terminal and the fourth runway officially started, and Chongqing Xiannvshan Airport at Wulong District has been completed and put into operation.

Statistics show that the city's annual passenger throughput remained top ten in China and ranked the world's top 50 for the first time, making it one of the world's busiest airports.

In addition, the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle construction is also to build the strategic opening-up in inland China. As to transportation, several inter-provincial bus lines and container liners of the Sichuan-Chongqing sector and Jialing River have been opened in Sichuan province and Chongqing. The "one passing scan code" of buses and metros has also been realized in Chengdu and Chongqing.

The Fuxing model has become the first high-speed railway operating at 350km/h in Southwest China, within an only one-hour route between Chengdu and Chongqing. Positive progress has been made in the Chengdu-Chongqing High-speed Railway. The Chengdu-Dazhou-Wanzhou High-speed Railway and the Chongqing-Wanzhou High-speed Railway have been started in succession.

Plans of the 14th Five-Year Plan Period

Next, Chongqing Transportation Bureau will speed up building an international aviation gateway hub, such as the construction of the T3B terminal and the fourth runway of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. Meanwhile, the Bureau will promote the second airport's preparation, establish the coordinated development mechanism of Chengdu and Chongqing airport groups, and build an aviation network that radiates the whole world.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Chongqing Transportation Bureau will accelerate the integration of passenger and cargo transportation services, optimize the utilization of the Yangtze River Waterway, China Railway Express, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and Chongqing-Manchuria-Russia Express Train.

At the same time, the Bureau plans to promote the construction of an integrated, comprehensive hub for passenger and cargo transport and carry out the overall planning of the collection and distribution system of international multi-modal transport to bring the opening-up of inland China to a new level.

"Chengdu-Chongqing Free Trade Port"

At the conference, Wang Lin, professor of Chongqing University and member of the CPPCC Chongqing, pointed out that the building of the "Chengdu-Chongqing Free Trade Port" in the future is a necessary step to promote the integration of innovation, entrepreneurship, logistics, and finance for both home and abroad.

Wang said this would lead the industrial transformation and upgrading, promote the Western China Development in the new era, and make Chongqing a hub node connecting the domestic and international circulations.

He continued, the "Chengdu-Chongqing Free Trade Port" could further enhance the city's domestic and international influence. By realizing bulk goods transfer, collection, transportation, and distribution, an important logistics center will be formed to obtain important information flow and capital flow. Meanwhile, a node with high centrality will be formed, radiating Central Asia, Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean Rim (including Africa and the Middle East) to promote the smooth dual circulation of domestic and international channels.

Rongchang Animal Science and Technology City

In addition, the cooperation between Sichuan province and Chongqing plays an important role in accelerating the construction of the Rongchang Animal Science and Technology City and creating a new platform for innovation and development. The development of Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle construction further promotes Rongchang District to enter a new development stage, intending to build a new pattern of development and create more opening-up cooperation with the world.

Cao Qingyao, Deputy to the NPC Chongqing and Secretary of Rongchang District Party Committee, said that by 2025, with innovation further driven by the intellectualization of Big Data, Rongchang District will establish an innovation center of animal science and technology, as well as an electronic information research and development center with global influence, under the development of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.