Chongqing - The Liangjiang New Area, inland China's inaugural national-level development zone, is experiencing a boom in activity at Guoyuan Port. Marked by endless lines of trucks and non-stop crane activity, the port is driving the region's growth.

The container wharf at Guoyuan Port in Liangjiang New Area. (Photo/Lan Tian)

In January, the multimodal transport hub, crucial to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Yangtze River Golden Waterway, and New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), recorded a cargo throughput of 2.11 million tons. It managed 11,000 TEUs in water-to-water transshipment and 2,000 TEUs in water-to-rail intermodal transport.

The drive persisted into February, as Chongqing convened a conference on February 18 to accelerate the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. The meeting underscored the importance of creating strategic centers that align with major projects such as the BRI, Yangtze River Golden Waterway, and ILSTC, stressing the need for a top-tier integrated transport and logistics hub.

In the Liangjiang New Area, a strong logistics network has developed along the upper Yangtze River, demonstrating the increasing integration within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle—the upper reaches of the Yangtze River cover Chongqing and provinces like Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.

"Due to navigational constraints on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, bulk logistics within Sichuan often necessitate consolidation at Guoyuan Port before transshipment via the Golden Waterway to eastern regions," said Fang Liang, Vice General Manager of Chongqing Guoyuan Container Co., Ltd. Currently, 90% of containers from Yibin Port and 100% from Luzhou Port within Sichuan opt for transshipment at Guoyuan Port.

In 2023, Guoyuan Port experienced a significant increase in land-sea intermodal train operations, dispatching 702 trains, marking an increase of over 40% compared to the previous year. The launch of additional routes, such as the China-Myanmar railway express connecting Chongqing, Lincang, and Myanmar, and the China-Vietnam freight express from Guyuan Port to Hanoi, Vietnam, has reinforced its importance as a crucial transportation hub.

Avatr 11 rolls off the production line at Changan Automobile's factory in Liangjiang New Area. (Photo/Changan Automobile)

Beyond Guoyuan Port, the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI) has advanced in Liangjiang New Area, enhancing collaboration with Singapore in finance, aviation, transport logistics, and information communication sectors.

By 2023, Liangjiang and Singapore had signed 61 projects, comprising about 21% of the city's total and attracting investments of USD$10.98 billion, or 43% of the city's overall investment.

With a strategic vision to serve the greater good, Liangjiang New Area is emerging as a pivotal gateway for the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, fostering regional openness and positioning itself as a pioneer of opening up in inland China.

Zhu Huarong, Chairman of Changan Automobile, announced that the 30GWh power battery project jointly invested by Changan Automobile and a Sichuan-based company under CATL has commenced in Yibin, Sichuan. Changan aims to enhance cooperation with Sichuan enterprises in new energy vehicle and battery industry chains, software, and intelligent driving.