The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has already provided access to six western Chinese provinces and regions, and connected with China-Europe freight trains. A total of 1,154 freight trains made trips through the corridor in 2018.

This was announced by Chen Wu, chairman of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, at the 2nd Session of the 13th Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Congress on Jan 26.

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has provided access to six western Chinese provinces and regions, and connected with China-Europe freight trains, announced Guangxi Chairman Chen Wu at the 2nd Session of the 13th Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Congress. [Photo/Guangxi Daily]

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is an international trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provinces and ASEAN countries under the framework of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity.

With Chongqing serving as one of its transportation hubs, the corridor uses ports in Guangxi's Beibu Gulf to provide access to Singapore and other ASEAN countries by sea, and links with China-Europe freight trains coming from many western Chinese cities before heading to Central Asia, South Asia and Europe.

In August 2017, only Chongqing municipality, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Guizhou province and Gansu province signed the agreement to cooperate in the construction of the corridor. Qinghai province and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region came on board in June and November 2018, respectively. Yunnan province and Ningxia Hui autonomous region are the latest regions to join the project.

Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, Gansu, Qinghai, Yunnan, Xinjiang and Ningxia sign a framework agreement on Jan 7 to cooperate on the construction of the International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. [Photo/liangjiang.gov.cn]

To do its part, Guangxi will accelerate construction on the Huangtong-Baise Railway, the Hunan-Guangxi Railway's Nanning-Pingxiang section and the Nanning-Kunming Railway's Weishe-Baise section. Qinzhou Port will add a 200,000-ton container terminal and have its eastern shipping lane expanded.

More direct freight trains will be launched to connect Chongqing with Beibu Gulf, and more shipping routes will connect Beibu Gulf with ASEAN countries.

Most importantly, the multilateral cooperation system will be refined to push for integrating logistics and facilitating customs clearance between western Chinese provinces and regions and ASEAN countries.