Five years ago, a brand-new international trade and logistics channel - the new western land-sea channel was born, which closely connected the western inland with the vast ocean.
In the past five years, the logistics network of the new western land-sea channel has been rapidly expanded, the scale of opening lines has increased significantly, and the operation quality has been steadily improved, and it has grown into an important and fast sea-going channel in the western region.
Connecting with the "Belt and Road", more than 30 first trains will be launched this year
Walking into the central station of Chongqing Tuanjie Village, you are full of containers with the icons of "China-Europe Railway Express" and "New Land-Sea Corridor".
Members of the joint patrol team at the starting point of the China-Europe freight train conduct on-site command of the operation vehicles in the freight yard of the central station of Tuanjie Village in Chongqing (photo taken on January 25, 2022).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Yi
In the past, when goods from western regions such as Chongqing were shipped to ASEAN countries, they needed to be transported eastward to coastal areas and then to Southeast Asia. It took nearly two months for fresh goods such as agricultural products to be unbearable, and investors were also discouraged.
Until 2017, relevant provinces, regions and cities in the west cooperated with ASEAN countries to create a new international trade logistics channel - the southbound channel of the China-Singapore Interconnection Project, which is the predecessor of the new western land-sea channel.
The first train of the normal operation of the southbound rail-sea intermodal transport channel of the China-Singapore Interconnection Project is ready to go (photo taken on September 25, 2017).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Yi
It takes Chongqing as the operation center and the western provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities as key nodes. It uses railway, sea, highway and other transportation methods to reach all parts of the world through coastal ports such as Guangxi and Yunnan. .
In August 2019 and September 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission successively issued the "Overall Plan for the New Western Land-Sea Corridor" and the "Implementation Plan for Promoting the High-quality Construction of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor during the 14th Five-Year Plan"; 12 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have established a "13+2" cooperation mechanism with Hainan Province, as well as Zhanjiang City in Guangdong Province and Huaihua City in Hunan Province, to promote the rapid growth of this new channel——
The logistics network is expanding rapidly.
At the beginning of the passage, there was only one line, and now it has formed 3 main lines in the east, middle and west, and 3 logistics forms of rail-sea intermodal trains, international railway trains, and cross-border highway shuttles. The number of destinations in the passage has been expanded to 107. 319 ports in countries and regions;
The scale of the bank has grown substantially.
According to the data of the Logistics and Operation Organization Center of the New Western Land-Sea Channel, taking the rail-sea intermodal trains opened in Chongqing as an example, 48, 609, 923, 1297 and 2059 trains will be operated respectively from 2017 to 2021;
The quality of operation has been steadily improved.
At the beginning of the opening of the channel, most trains and shuttles "go and no return", and there are only more than 50 kinds of goods.
Now the two-way balance of transportation has been basically achieved, and the number of goods has increased to more than 640 kinds;
...
Since the beginning of this year, under the complex situation such as the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the construction of the channel has run out of "acceleration" against the trend——
On April 21, the China-Laos Railway (Dunhuang-Vientiane-Bangkok, Gansu Province) of the new western land-sea corridor was launched; on May 23, the first international railway train of the new China-Myanmar corridor (Chongqing-Lincang-Myanmar) was launched; June 16 , the test train of the new western land-sea passage (Chongqing-Tibet-South Asia) opened...
The China-Myanmar New Corridor (Chongqing-Lincang-Myanmar) international railway train departs smoothly from Chongqing Guoyuangang Yuzui Station (drone photo, taken on May 23, 2022).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Yi
"Since this year, the new western land-sea corridor has achieved more than 30 first trains, and has expanded a number of new logistics routes between Chongqing, Ningxia, Gansu and other places and ASEAN countries such as Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar." Logistics and operation organization center of the western land-sea corridor Director Liu Wei said.
In the first half of this year, the new western land-sea corridor transported 216,000 TEUs of goods, a year-on-year increase of 30.3%; the value of goods was about 37 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 65%.
Solve the logistics problems in the west and focus on building a new development pattern
In the International Consumption Center of Luhai New Channel, there are a wide range of special products under the "Luhai Youpin" brand, including Gansu lily and Guangxi snail noodles.
Consumers buy goods at the "International Consumption Center of New Land-Sea Channel" located in Jiefangbei, Chongqing (photo taken on May 28, 2022).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Yi
"These special products were once hidden in the boudoir due to logistical problems. Now they are going to the world along this fast new channel, and some of them have become new growth points of local foreign trade." Wang Yupei, chairman of Luhai New Channel Operation Co., Ltd. Say.
The passage is smooth, and all industries are prosperous.
In the past five years, the new western land-sea channel has solved the international logistics problems in the western region, allowing the western region to "embrace" the world.
The new western land-sea channel drives the western region to integrate more deeply into the global industrial pattern——
The motorcycle assembly plant opened by Chongqing Huansong Industrial Group in Vietnam was once difficult to expand production capacity due to the long shipping cycle of parts.
With the support of the new western land-sea passage, the problem is easily solved.
The relevant person in charge of the group calculated an account: "The new western land-sea channel provides us with a stable and efficient supply chain guarantee. The transportation time is nearly 20 days shorter than the traditional river-sea combined transportation, which improves transportation efficiency and reduces operating costs."
Chongqing Customs staff inspect before the departure of the China-Laos Railway "Railway Express", the first outbound train of the China-Laos Railway in the new land-sea corridor (photo taken on May 21, 2022).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Yi
The new land-sea passage in the west will help the western brother provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities achieve coordinated development——
On June 30, a new western land-sea train carrying 51 sets of Xinjiang coal containers started from Hami City, Xinjiang, and arrived in Chongqing five days later, helping to alleviate the shortage of electricity and coal in Chongqing and ensure local energy security.
"In addition to Xinjiang coal entering Chongqing, soda ash from Qinghai is transported to Guangxi through the new western land-sea channel to support the glass industry, and glass from Guangxi is transported to Sichuan and Chongqing through the new western land-sea channel to support the automobile industry," said Wang Yupei.
The new western land-sea passage has become a lever for the western part to undertake the industrial transfer from the eastern part——
At the construction site of the Huayi Qinzhou Chemical New Material Integration Base Project in the Qinzhou Port Area of the Guangxi Pilot Free Trade Zone, there are tower cranes and machines roaring, and thousands of construction workers are going all out to seize the construction period.
Liu Xunfeng, chairman of Shanghai Huayi Group, said that Qinzhou can not only enjoy the lower cost of factors in the western region, but also develop the international market by taking advantage of the new western land-sea channel.
"Internally, the new Western Land-Sea Corridor drives the opening and development of the western region; externally, the Western Land-Sea Corridor connects the 'Belt' and the 'One Road'." said Zhai Kun, a professor at the School of International Relations at Peking University. A new development pattern in which the international dual cycle promotes each other.
Benefit countries and regions along the route and enhance supply chain resilience
On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival this year, the fragrant Lao glutinous rice started a brand new journey - from Vientiane, Laos, to take the China-Laos train in the new western land-sea corridor, arrived in Chongqing 4 days later, and then distributed to other western provinces.
Previously, Lao glutinous rice had to be transferred to a port in Thailand or Vietnam, arrived in eastern China by sea, and then shipped to Chongqing via the Yangtze River, which often took nearly a month.
The Chongqing-Laos Vientiane cross-border highway shuttle bus leaves from the Chongqing Nanpeng Highway Bonded Logistics Center (photo taken on April 28, 2021).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Yi
"The new western land-sea channel shortens the logistics time to about 4 days, and saves about 200 US dollars per container." Wu Yang, manager of Minsheng International Freight Forwarding Company, who was responsible for organizing the source of the goods, said.
The century-old changes and the epidemic of the century are intertwined, and economic globalization has encountered adverse currents.
The new western land-sea corridor opens up new opportunities for countries and regions along the route and enhances the resilience of the global supply chain.
Similar to the experience of glutinous rice in Laos, Thai durians are picked from the orchards, and they can be placed at the supermarket counters in western cities such as Chongqing within 10 days by taking the cross-border highway shuttle bus of the new western land-sea corridor.
The audience visited the sand table of Chongqing's overseas and outbound channel at the 3rd Western China International Investment and Trade Fair (photo taken on May 21, 2021).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Wei
"Before the opening of the new western land-sea corridor, according to traditional logistics routes, Thai durians must first be transferred to local ports, arrive in cities in eastern China by sea, and then be transported to Chongqing via domestic trunk logistics. The cost of transshipment is high and time-consuming." Chongqing Hong Deng Hongjiu, chairman of Jiuguopin Co., Ltd.
"The Chinese market is very important to us. After the opening of the China-Laos Railway, Thai specialty products can enter the Chinese market more quickly through the new western land-sea corridor." Meng Gong, Consul General of the Consulate General of Thailand in Kunming, said that the new western land-sea corridor will allow Southeast Asian countries to go deeper into the Chinese market. Participate in the "Belt and Road" initiative to win more development opportunities.
The first international freight train of the China-Laos Railway (Jiangjin-Vientiane) leaves the Xiaonanya Railway Logistics Center (photo taken on March 2, 2022).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Yi
On the basis of trade in goods, my country is exploring the "China-Cambodia Banana Industrial Park" project with Cambodia, relying on the new land-sea corridor in the west, to build an integrated banana supply chain of "transportation, trade and production"; aiming at Malaysia's palm oil, rubber, petroleum and other resources, promote Forming a new land-sea channel, the Malaysian Supply Chain Resource Center, etc.
At the International Cooperation Forum on the New Land-Sea Corridor held in Chongqing recently, Yang Liming, Minister of Communications and Information and Second Minister of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore, delivered a video speech, saying that connectivity is the core of supply chain resilience, and the new land-sea corridor to the south and west connects young and active Southeast Asians. To the north, the economy is connected to the rapidly growing western region of China, through the efficient connection of the new western land-sea corridor, which saves the time of inter-regional cargo transportation.
The Yangtze River-Indochina Peninsula International Intermodal Train (Guoyuan Port, China—Vientiane, Laos—Rangon, Myanmar) was dispatched from Chongqing Orchard Port (drone photo, taken on April 7, 2022).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Wei
"Under the complex and severe situation, the new western land-sea channel bucks the trend and will make an important contribution to maintaining the stability of the global supply chain and promoting the high-quality development of the 'Belt and Road'." Zhai Kun said.
Text reporters: Wang Jintao, Zhao Yufei, Li Xiaoting
Video reporters: Yu Xiaosu, Zhang Lin
Poster Design: Yin Zelun
New Media Editor: Hu Bixia