Photo shows a port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a key logistics network connecting China's western regions to global markets. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)
 

In April, indices such as total business volume, new orders, and inventory turnover for China's logistics industry all stayed above the 50 percent mark that indicates expansion, delivering a strong performance for the country's open economy.

Amid the restructuring of the global industrial chain, China's western regions posted significant growth in the total business volume index for the logistics sector in particular, becoming a vivid example of the country's commitment to expanding high-level opening-up.

Behind this momentum are "steel-camel caravans"—China-Europe freight trains—that transport new energy vehicles (NEVs) from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality across Eurasia. Lemons from Chongqing's Tongnan district reach Southeast Asia in just five days via the China-Laos-Thailand international cold-chain freight trains. Maojian tea, a green tea from Duyun city in southwest China's Guizhou Province, is exported to ASEAN countries. Fresh-cut flowers from Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province arrive in Europe within 48 hours, and coffee beans are transported through mountains via the China-Laos Railway.

In late April, reporters of People's Daily Online visited the operation and dispatch center of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), a key logistics network connecting China's western regions to global markets. Real-time data on overseas warehouses, freight orders, and international container volumes flowed across giant screens.

"About 90 percent of our shipments go to Asia or Southeast Asia," said Liu Yizhen, deputy general manager with New Land-Sea Corridor Operation Co., Ltd.

According to Liu, the ILSTC's freight volumes under the rail-sea intermodal transportation model have increased by about 9 percent year on year, while cross-border railway transport volumes have more than doubled.

Wang Yihua, general manager of the international logistics and port shipping departments of Chongqing Logistics Group, said the company has rapidly expanded its overseas warehouse network in Southeast Asia, built four major international logistics routes, and developed a more resilient supply chain system using digital technologies and adopting other measures.

An executive of a company receives an interview on the development of cross-border logistics. (People's Daily Online/Sun Qifan)
 

High-level opening-up benefits from the collaborative industrial chain brought by international capacity cooperation and cross-border logistics that continuously reduce costs and enhance efficiency. For example, the "China-Laos-Thailand" round-trip freight train reduces transportation time from nine days to less than five and cuts costs by almost a third.

Chinese enterprises are actively integrating into the global market. They improve their international competitiveness and establish a mechanism for diffusing risks by adopting flexible strategies, building a complete industrial chain, and diversifying their product structures.

Moreover, a series of favorable policies have been introduced, injecting momentum into opening-up.

As cross-border logistics maintains growth, companies are focusing on building resilient global distribution networks.

Huang Man, deputy general manager of Yuxinou (Chongqing) Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd., said ASEAN Express trains launched in October 2024, which are for a fast-track route for Asia-Europe trade, now connect the ILSTC with the China-Europe freight train service, facilitating a streamlined process.

The Trans-Caspian international transportation route is also operational, allowing faster delivery to Europe via Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye.

San Yang Ma (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd. is developing the Sichuan/Chongqing-Xinjiang transport channel and expanding services to Central Asia, West Asia and Europe.

In addition, another cross-border e-commerce company has established partnerships with enterprises in countries including France, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand.

Zhang Wenlong, general manager of Youhu Automobile Trading, said that the company is actively setting up marketing companies in Cambodia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Dubai, Mexico and several African countries to create an integrated foreign trade service system with online and offline operations.

At present, enterprises are reducing reliance on any single market by expanding their foreign trade networks.

China is promoting opening-up that coordinates the coastal and inland areas and connects the eastern and western regions.