Chongqing - On March 5, a suggestion was submitted to the second session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) by the NPC deputies from Chongqing and Sichuan, seeking a comprehensive upgrade in shipping efficiency along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

With a regional economic output of about 15 trillion yuan (about USD 2.1 trillion), the upper Yangtze region contributes significantly to China's economy, representing one-eighth of the national total.

The upper Yangtze region has a robust water system, including the Yangtze River as the main artery and tributaries like the Jialing and Wujiang Rivers, enabling east-west and north-south navigation. With 25,000 kilometers of navigable waterways, including over 2,100 kilometers of high-grade ones, it is a region with excellent inland waterway resources.

In recent years, collaborative efforts in water transport planning, infrastructure development, and market operations have significantly supported the Yangtze River Economic Belt's growth, including New International Land-Sea Trade Corridors (ILSTC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

Efforts to develop modern port clusters at key sites like Chongqing Guoyuan Port, Xintian Port, and Sichuan Luzhou Port led to a significant increase in port throughput in the upstream region. In 2023, it reached 320 million tons and 5.2 million TEUs, showcasing thriving waterborne freight activity.

Cross-provincial waterway shipping coordination mechanism

Yet, maximizing the shipping potential of the upper Yangtze presents challenges. These encompass environmental and water resource management obstacles, notably the upgrading of the waterway section between Yibin and Chongqing, hindered by nature reserve concerns. 

Additionally, the region contends with escalating water resource competition across sectors, alongside logistical challenges like the bottleneck at the Three Gorges Dam ship lock, where ships faced an average 12-day waiting time in 2023.

To tackle these issues, NPC deputies from Chongqing and Sichuan suggest several measures. These involve clarifying the waterway improvement project's route through nature reserves, advocating for implementation rules for the Yangtze River Protection Law to upgrade the waterway section from Yibin to Chongqing, and creating a coordination mechanism for cross-provincial waterway shipping demands. Additionally, they suggest optimizing water resource management across different sectors.

Another pivotal suggestion includes accelerating the development of a new water transportation channel at the Three Gorges Dam. This includes advancing the preliminary work on the project and researching transport organization programs and guidance policies to improve the scheduling of essential goods and special types of vessels through the locks, thereby minimizing the socioeconomic impact on the region.

Aligned with these strategies, on March 6, the Chongqing Municipal Transport Commission revealed plans to invest 3.7 billion yuan in water transport infrastructure this year. This funding targets key projects like the second phase of the Wanzhou Port Xintian operation area and the Fuling Port Longtou operation area, aiming to increase Chongqing's port capacity to 230 million tons.