On October 16, during a news conference, Li Qing, the mayor of Wanzhou District and secretary of the Wanzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, outlined ambitious goals for the region. “In five years, we aim to achieve a cargo throughput of 190 million tons, total logistics revenue of 20 billion yuan, and total import and export volume of 40 billion yuan,” he stated. According to Li, Wanzhou will focus on developing four key hubs, two ports, and one logistics center, working to establish a new pattern of external connections that integrates land, air, sea, and rail transport.
Located in northeastern Chongqing and at the heart of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, Wanzhou serves as a critical transit point. It connects the Sichuan Basin to the east and Jiangxi to the west, and it’s where the Yangtze River’s golden waterway meets the new western land-sea corridor. The region boasts a year-round operational river port capable of accommodating 10,000-ton vessels, an international airport that serves millions of passengers, and a high-speed rail hub that facilitates transport for over ten million travelers. Each year, over 100 million tons of goods flow through Wanzhou, connecting it to both river and sea routes.
Specifically, Wanzhou plans to establish four major hubs: a national comprehensive transportation hub, a production and service-focused national logistics hub, a regional rail hub, and a municipal auxiliary hub for the new western land-sea corridor. It also aims to enhance two key ports: the Wanzhou Airport’s aviation opening and the Xintian Port’s water transport capabilities. Additionally, Wanzhou will cultivate a regional logistics center and expedite the integration of transportation networks, including rail, road, water, air, pipelines, mail, and digital frameworks. The strategy includes piloting a “one city, one port” initiative to maximize its accessibility and facilitate a new operational model that promotes economic development in port-related sectors.
As a quintessential transportation hub, Wanzhou’s logistics capabilities are central to the region’s development. Authorities are currently focusing on building a comprehensive multi-dimensional transportation system, accelerating the construction of major projects like the Chengdu-Wanzhou, Chongqing-Wanzhou, and Chongqing-Western High-speed Rail lines. Plans are also underway to establish a collection point for the China-Europe Railway Express in Wanzhou, alongside the Southern passages such as the Wanzhou-Guizhou and Wanzhou-Zhangjiajie high-speed rail links. This would create extensive trade routes leading east to the sea, west to Europe, north to Northeast China, and south to Southeast Asia.
Wanzhou hosts six cargo terminals where the new western land-sea corridor efficiently connects with the Yangtze River’s golden waterway, making transportation more cost-effective and efficient. For instance, utilizing the river-sea combined transport system, African minerals can reach Wanzhou for an average freight cost of just 50 yuan per ton.
Additionally, plans are underway to establish an international logistics corridor for bulk commodities from Central Asia via Xinjiang to Wanzhou. The local government is aiming to develop “dry ports” in cities like Xi’an and Lanzhou, accelerate the integration of the “one city, one port” model, and enhance the infrastructure of Xintian Port to create a comprehensive logistics center for bulk commodities.
Li Qing further highlighted that Wanzhou would accelerate the development of port infrastructure, deepen customs procedures like “direct delivery upon arrival” and “single-window regulations,” and explore rapid customs reforms to improve cross-border trade facilitation.
