CR Express brings development opportunities for SW China’s Chengdu: expert

International freight trains have a great advantage when it comes to Southeast Asia and can bring development opportunities for Chengdu, a logistics hub in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, said an expert.

In recent years, Chengdu has been promoting the construction of an international logistics hub. The Chengdu International Railway Port has formed seven international railway channels, and six international rail-sea combined transport routes are under development, connecting 18 cities in China and 55 cities abroad, according to media reports.

“As an important hub city for China Railway Express (CR Express), Chengdu enjoys first-mover advantage in launching more international freight train routes linking China with Southeast Asian countries,” said Zhai Kun, a professor at the School of International Relations of Peking University, in a recent interview with the Belt and Road Portal.

Zhai Kun, professor at the School of International Relations of Peking University

At a 2018 symposium marking the fifth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), officials said that Sichuan Province should plan to not only connect with the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor in the north, but also go south and work together with ASEAN countries.

Chengdu has already launched several China-Europe railway routes, and southbound freight trains departing from the city can reach the land port city of Pingxiang and sea port of Qinzhou in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Zhai said.

“By combining railway and sea transport, cargo can thus go from Europe to Chengdu on CR Express trains, and then pass the South China ports to reach Southeast Asia through the new International Land-Sea Trade Corridor,” Zhai said.

With its years of experience operating China-Europe freight trains, Chengdu has accumulated extensive knowledge and resources in international logistics including technology, capital and complementary measures for supply chains. “These will support the city to more effectively expand its southbound routes,” Zhai said.

“As China is now promoting the new ‘dual circulation’ development pattern, it is great timing for Chengdu to explore southbound freight routes,” Zhai said, explaining that Chengdu can be regarded as one of the core cities for energizing the domestic cycle, while Southeast Asia can serve as an integration hub of the international cycle.

Zhai suggested that Chengdu advance construction of its supply chain. “A well-developed supply chain relies on a comprehensive connectivity system that involves multiple transportation modes, including railway lines, sea and air routes, as well as digital networks.”

“With an effective connectivity system, it is expected that a greater urban agglomeration can be formed based on Chengdu, radiating to neighboring cities such as Xi’an [in Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province], Zhengzhou [in Central China’s Henan Province], Wuhan [in Central China’s Hubei Province] and Changsha [in Central China’s Hunan Province],” Zhai noted, adding that Chengdu has great potential to stand out in the dual circulation development model and play an important role in economic growth.