Trade corridor fuels western China's growth

NANNING — A train loaded with electronics, auto parts and mechanical equipment from Chongqing, a major inland metropolis in southwestern China, arrives at the east railway station of Qinzhou Port in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, en route to its next destination: ASEAN.

As Huang Jiangnan, the stationmaster, casts his eyes over the vast expanse of the container yard, a profound sense of achievement washes over him.

"There were only two of us working at the station and the annual tally of dispatched trains was less than 10," Huang said as he reminisced about the station's inception in May 2015, originally designed to serve the comprehensive bonded zone in Qinzhou.

The station at Qinzhou Port has today become a vital node of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, with daily dispatches surging to over 20 trains.

The Qinzhou Port now operates 76 container routes, connecting to over 200 ports across more than 100 countries and regions through its foreign trade network. From January to August, the port handled more than 5.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units of goods, marking a 16-percent increase year-on-year, while cargo throughput rose 4.4 percent year-on-year to 297 million metric tons during the period.

From local to national

The evolution of the railway station at Qinzhou Port reflects the dynamic growth of the trade corridor, showcasing a remarkable journey of progress and development driven by openness and connectivity.

In September 2017, the "southward corridor" from Chongqing through Guizhou province and Guangxi to Singapore, the precursor to the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, made its debut. By August 2019, a plan from the National Development and Reform Commission elevated it from a local initiative to a national strategic project.

Anchored in Chongqing and with key western provincial-level regions as critical nodes, the corridor employs a blend of rail, sea and road transport to connect with global destinations via the coastal and border ports of Guangxi and Yunnan province.

After five years of construction, the corridor, more commonly known as the new western land-sea corridor, now connects 523 ports across 124 countries and regions. The total number of train departures has exceeded 30,000 while the range of goods transported has expanded from over 80 types to more than 1,150, reflecting the corridor's growing role in global trade.

As a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the corridor is key to accelerating the large-scale development of China's western region. Spanning 12 provincial-level regions, the less-developed western region plays a vital role in driving the country's sustainable, high-quality development.

According to Zhai Kun, a professor at Peking University's School of International Studies, the corridor has elevated the western regions to a vantage point of openness, catalyzing swift economic growth in these areas. This development not only underscores the robustness, vast potential and dynamism of China's economy, but also stands as a compelling testament to the vitality of the BRI.

From national to global

Chongqing's Tongnan has long been celebrated as one of the world's premier lemon-growing areas, often mentioned in the same breath as California in the United States and Sicily in Italy. However, for years, reaching markets beyond the local area remained a challenge for Tongnan's prized citrus.

The new western land-sea corridor has been a game-changer for Tongnan's lemons, propelling them into over 30 countries and regions, including Thailand, Singapore and Russia.

This surge in global reach is not exclusive to lemons. A range of regional specialties, once local secrets, are now making their mark on the world stage through the corridor. Ningxia's wines and goji berry juices, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region's nuts, Guangxi's signature Luosifen noodles, and Guizhou's teas are gaining international acclaim, boosting the growth of their local economies.

Shortly after the China-Laos Railway began operation, a new freight service was launched, further boosting trade between China's western region and both ASEAN and Europe. Leveraging the corridor, businesses in western China are rapidly integrating into the global industrial landscape.

In Chongqing, motorcycles produced by Chongqing D-Chamwin Motor Technology Co Ltd are shipped as parts via the corridor's cross-border highway express. Four days later, they arrive at the company's factory in Mandalay, Myanmar, where they are assembled into complete vehicles for local consumers.

Previously, logistical challenges had hindered the company's expansion. "Logistics used to take too long and the cost was too high," said the company's general manager, Yang Heping. Motorcycles have a broad market in Southeast Asian countries, but traditionally, exporting to these nations meant relying on time-consuming river-sea intermodal transport, which often took up to two months or longer.

The new western land-sea corridor has significantly tightened the trade ties between western inland areas like Chongqing and Southeast Asian countries.

"With the new corridor, we're down to a minimum of just four days for delivery, and overseas markets have suddenly become accessible," Yang said.

The relentless progress of the corridor has also paved the way for more domestic and international businesses to delve into the expansive Chinese market.

Hu Shengli, who works with Thongta International Logistics (Lao) Co Ltd, noted that the China-Laos Railway has been a boon for Laos, providing not just streamlined transportation, but also economic growth and increased job opportunities, thereby improving the standards of living for local people.

"Prior to 2021, the price for dried cassava slices was a mere 700 yuan ($98) per ton, whereas now it has surged to 1,200 yuan per ton," he said.

"Durians picked in Thailand are transported by truck to the Laotian capital Vientiane and then sent to Kunming in Southwest China via the China-Laos Railway. The entire journey can be completed in as short as three and a half days," said Fan Ligang, head of a trading company in Guangzhou, adding that timely transportation ensures the quality of the durians. "Previously, our main customers were in Guangdong and Qingdao. Now, we're looking to expand into markets in Chengdu and Guizhou."

Xinhua