Chongqing - Since the announcement of the regional development strategy of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in 2020, Chengdu and Chongqing have implemented 160 major projects with a total investment of 188.95 billion yuan (about USD 27.45 billion), including building a multiple-dimension traffic network.

During the first 11 months of 2022, Chengdu and Chongqing launched the China Railway Express (Chengdu-Chongqing), operating over 5,000 trains, and jointly developed the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), which covers 393 ports in 118 countries (regions).

The overall performance of Chengdu and Chongqing regarding China Railway Express (Chengdu-Chongqing) and the ILSTC in 2022. (Graphics / Chen Yuting)

Chongqing and Sichuan have been approved as national logistics hubs for production and services due to their commitment to constructing an integrated and high-level Free Trade Zone. 

In the first three quarters of 2022, Chengdu and Chongqing reached a total import and export of 1.36 trillion yuan (about USD 194.47 billion), and the actual use of foreign capital was 3.887 billion US dollars.

The Chengdu-Chongqing region has become a window for China to open to the west and south.

To the east, the Yangtze River Golden Waterway strengthens the connection with the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, connecting the river to the sea; To the west, the China Railway Express is opened, integrating into the Asia-Europe corridor and opening up a strategic channel from Xinjiang to Tibet.

To the south, connecting the ILSTC, covering Southeast Asia and South Asia; To the north, the international trains departing from Chengdu and Chongqing can connect to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the China-Mongolia-Russia International Economic Corridor, and Northeast Asia.

“National first” in Chengdu and Chongqing

Over the past three years, there have been many “national first” cases in the Chengdu-Chongqing area.

For example, the national first Cross-administrative Regional Foreign-invested Enterprise Complaint Handling Coordination Mechanism and the China Railway Express (Chengdu-Chongqing), which achieved cross-provincial and municipal cooperation for the China Railway Express for the first time in China.

The number of China Railway Express trains (Chengdu-Chongqing) exceeds 20,000, which is about 40% of the national network. A key player in the Belt and Road effort, China Railway Express has the country’s largest operating number, most balanced trips, highest freight value, and most optimal cargo structure. 

The stable operation of the China Railway Express (Chengdu-Chongqing) has promoted the efficient development of western electronics, automobiles, machinery, and other industries suitable for the railway. Based on transportation and brand effect advantages, an export-oriented industrial cluster and the characteristic hub economy have emerged in Chengdu and Chongqing.

For example, the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park has gathered cold chain, trade, and other pro-railway industries, introduced leading multi-modal logistics projects and landed logistics, warehousing, and cold chain import trade projects.