Chongqing- The China-Singapore (Chongqing) Multimodal Distribution and Connectivity (DC) Center officially started operation in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 17, covering an area of 520 mu. The base, founded in 2019,  features two phases of construction. This operation is the project's first phase and includes a consolidation warehouse and container yard. 

At the ceremony, 27 international cooperation projects were signed, while the DC center's first batch of intermodal shuttles was dispatched. Chongqing's industrial and agricultural products were sent to Southeast Asia by intermodal transportation, including Huida lemon, Wushan crisp plum, and composite materials.

As the key project of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI), the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Multimodal Distribution and Connectivity (DC) project adopts the "1+1" cooperation pattern, referring to the asset-heavy plus asset-light business models. China and Singapore jointly invest in the platform company to build a multimodal transportation demonstration base and conduct market-oriented operation of the project. 

As the new starting point of the New International Land-sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), the base will actively introduce Singapore's advanced technology and management experience in the transportation and logistics sectors, efficiently integrated international and domestic resources, including China Railway Express, Yangtze River Golden Waterway, Guoyuan Port, and Jiangbei International Airport. 

The base aims to link domestic and foreign port shipping, warehousing and logistics, supply chain management, information services, and other related industries to build a professional, intelligent, green, and international multimodal transportation hub as well as logistics and trade distribution center.  

After completion, the base will focus on three key business areas: warehousing, freight forwarding, and trade. The base will create intelligent and digital warehousing service products and expand the international freight forwarding business to form a complete and solid logistics service chain. 

"In the past, our lemons sent from Chongqing to Singapore needed to transit in Shenzhen. Sometimes it took several days to wait for the shipping schedule. Now the enterprises only need to load the boxes in Chongqing, and the goods can reach Singapore directly," said Dai Xiaoqiang, chairman of the Huida import and export corporation, which features lemons. 

It was included in the first batch of intermodal shuttles departed from the DC center, and Dai estimated that this time, it can save three to five days and about 30% of the logistics costs. 

The operation of the DC center will enhance the intermodal transport collaboration capacity and transit efficiency, helping the construction of inland international logistics hubs and port highlands, providing strong support for the open cooperation and integrated development of western China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Zeng Jinghua, Director of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity Administrative Bureau (CCIB).

Over the past six years since the CCI implementation, China and Singapore have cooperated in many areas, including financial services, the aviation industry, transportation and logistics, and information and communication. To date, 211 cooperation projects have been signed with a total amount of 25.25 billion US dollars, driving the connectivity between western China and ASEAN countries.