刘丁睿
Liu Wei, Director of the Coordination Center for Logistics and Operation of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC)
ILSTC Injecting New Momentum for Smooth Domestic and International Economic Circulations
实现西部12省区市全覆盖、辐射全国18个省份,通达全球120个国家和地区,西部陆海新通道作为中国西部地区一条重要的南北向陆海联动战略通道,北接丝绸之路经济带,南接21世纪海上丝绸之路,协同衔接长江经济带,是服务“一带一路”倡议和新一轮西部大开发的重要部署,也是加快形成国际国内双循环新发展格局的重要举措。
西部陆海新通道物流和运营组织中心主任刘玮接受本刊记者专访,回顾这条国际陆海贸易新通道十年蝶变,解读其在扩大对外开放和交往中的独特作用,并介绍未来聚焦发展领域。
整合市场资源 描绘陆海新通道“新蓝图”
2019年,国务院批复《西部陆海新通道总体规划》,明确重庆为通道物流和运营组织中心。近年来,重庆积极牵头会同沿线省(区、市)深化省际协商合作,高水平共建西部陆海新通道,形成许多具有辨识度的标志性成果,推动其成为“一带一路”倡议框架下重要的国际公共服务产品和国际合作平台。
刘玮介绍,目前重庆利用自身的物流网络,率先在西部陆海新通道上形成铁海联运、国际铁路联运、跨境公路运输三种主要运输组织方式,扩大货源组织和辐射范围。同时,以团结村中心站、鱼嘴站、小南垭站三大始发站为主枢纽,配合三种主要运输组织方式,实现西部陆海新通道在重庆的全域覆盖。
“多种积极要素叠加之下,重庆在西部陆海新通道的物流规模,在沿线省(区、市)中持续领先。”刘玮表示,2023年1—10月,重庆经西部陆海新通道三种主要运输组织方式共运输14.41万标箱,同比增长20%,占沿线地区总量保持在27%左右。截至2023年10月底,重庆经西部陆海新通道三种主要运输组织方式共累计运输56.4万标箱,货值933.48亿元,对外通达全球120个国家和地区的473个港口,货物品类拓展到980余种。
扩大“朋友圈” 提升对外开放水平
作为连接“一带”和“一路”的陸海联动通道,西部陆海新通道不断加强对外开放及国际合作,积极拓展辐射范围。8月31日,渝贸全球·重庆出口商品(泰国)展览会在泰国曼谷举行,西部陆海新通道部分特色产品集中参展外国展会,将重庆油茶、广西果干、宁夏红酒、甘肃百合等通道沿线省份特色产品展现给全世界;9月21日,首班西部陆海新通道火锅食材进口班列抵达重庆江津小南垭铁路物流中心,货值680万元的巴西进口冻鸡爪、越南进口耗儿鱼等火锅食材进入重庆百姓的餐桌。“1个月内,西部陆海新通道在‘走出去‘引进来上连续实现新突破,充分展现在全球贸易中的重要作用和强大活力。”刘玮称。
如今,借助西部陆海新通道,老挝的优质大米、啤酒、咖啡、木炭源源不断地进入中国市场;重庆的摩托车、汽车等产品远销东南亚。在重庆带动下,仅一年多的时间,就有超过10个共建“一带一路”国家的重点城市成为西部陆海新通道的新晋目的地,包括泰国林查班、缅甸仰光、哈萨克斯坦阿拉木图等。
6年来,西部陆海新通道已成为推动高质量共建“一带一路”,促进交流合作的强大动能。据统计,2017—2022年,西部陆海新通道沿线省份经广西口岸进出口贸易总额,从不足3000亿元增长至5200多亿元,年均增长12%。沿线省份对东盟10国进出口额,从2019年的6916亿元提高到2022年的8817亿元,年均增长8.91%。
打造标志性成果 争取突破性进展
3月27日,重庆市建设西部陆海新通道工作推进大会举行。“按照会议精神,下一步我们将聚焦通道运输能力、经济协同发展、通道贸易规模、通道服务效率、通道数字赋能等五方面,会同‘13+2省(区、市),坚持‘共商、共建、共享原则,进一步加强交流合作,力争取得更多标志性成果。”刘玮说。
西部陆海新通道结下累累硕果,更承载着更大的合作空间。展望未来,西部陆海新通道将继续保持良好发展态势,为推动高质量共建“一带一路”和加快构建以国内大循环为主体、国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局作出更大贡献。
图/受访者提供
As a strategically important north-to-south land-sea corridor in western China, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) covers all 12 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in western China, reaching 18 provinces in China and 120 countries and regions worldwide. It connects the Silk Road Economic Belt to the north and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to the south and coordinates with the Yangtze River Economic Belt, representing a significant project serving the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and a new round of development in western China, as well as an essential initiative to accelerate the formation of a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other.
Liu Wei, Director of the Coordination Center for Logistics and Operation of the ILSTC, gave an interview to our reporter, reviewing the evolution of the ILSTC over the past 10 years, explaining its unique role in expanding opening-up and interaction, and outlining development priorities in the future.
Charting a New Blueprint for the ILSTC to Integrate Market Resources
In 2019, the State Council approved the Master Plan for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, designating Chongqing as the corridors organization center for logistics and operations. Over the years, Chongqing has worked to engage the provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) along the ILSTC with inter-provincial consultations and cooperation to build the corridor with high standards, delivering several landmark results and elevating the ILSTC to a significant international public good and an international cooperation platform under the framework of the BRI.
Chongqing has utilized its logistics network to spearhead the formation of three logistic organization forms along the corridor: rail-sea multimodal transport, international railway transport, and cross-border trucking services, thus expanding the organization and coverage of cargo sources, said Liu Wei. Meanwhile, three major departure stations, Tuanjiecun Terminal Station, Yuzui Station, and Xiaonanya Station, are used as the main hubs for the three primary forms of logistics organization, realizing the full coverage of the ILSTC in Chongqing.
“With those favorable factors at play, Chongqing is a leading player among the provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) along the ILSTC in terms of logistic volume along the corridor.” From January to October this year, Chongqing transported 144,100 TEUs of cargo through the ILSTC, up 20% y-o-y, accounting for about 27% of the total volume along the corridor, said Liu Wei. As of the end of October 2023, Chongqing had transported 564,000 TEUs of cargo through the corridor, with a value of RMB93.348 billion, reaching 473 ports in 120 countries and regions worldwide, with the number of cargo categories expanding to 980.
Expanding the “Circle of Friends” to Enhance Opening-Up
As a land-sea corridor connecting the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the ILSTC has expanded opening-up and international cooperation to enlarge its coverage. On August 31, the Chongqing Export Commodities Exhibition, themed on “Chongqing Trade with World,” was launched in Bangkok, Thailand, showcasing unique goods produced along the corridor to a global audience, such as Tea-oil Camellia from Chongqing, dried fruit from Guangxi, red wine from Ningxia, and lily buds from Gansu. On September 21, the first ILSTC train for importing hot pot ingredients arrived at Xiaonanya Railway Logistics Center in Jiangjin District, Chongqing, bringing RMB6.8 million worth of Brazilian frozen chicken claws, Vietnam filefish, and other hot pot ingredients to Chongqing peoples dining tables. “In just one month, the ILSTC made continuous breakthroughs in ‘shipping out and ‘bringing in, showing fully its important role and strong vitality in boosting global trade,” said Liu Wei.
Through the corridor, high-quality rice, beer, coffee, and charcoal from Lao PDR are flowing into the Chinese market, while motorcycles and automobiles from Chongqing are reaching as far as Southeast Asia. Spearheaded by Chongqing, in just over one year, more than 10 key cities in countries along the Belt and Road have become the newest destinations of the ILSTC, including Laem Chabang in Thailand, Yangon in Myanmar, and Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan.
Over the past six years, the ILSTC has emerged as a vital engine driving the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and promoting exchanges and cooperation. Statistics show that from 2017-2022, the total import and export volume of provinces along the ILSTC through Guangxi ports grew from less than RMB300 billion to more than RMB520 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 12%. The import and export volume of provinces along the ILSTC with the 10 ASEAN countries increased from RMB691.6 billion in 2019 to RMB881.7 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.91%.
Delivering Signature Results and Striving for Breakthroughs
On March 27, a conference to accelerate the development of the ILSTC was held in Chongqing. “Putting into practice the guiding principles of the conference, going forward, Chongqing will strengthen exchanges and cooperation with ‘13+2 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in terms of corridor transportation capacity, coordinated economic development, the trade volume of the corridor, the efficiency of corridor services, and the digital transformation of the corridor, by following the principles of ‘planning together, building together and benefiting together, striving to deliver more signature results,” said Liu Wei.
Based on the fruitful results, the ILSTC promises a broader space for future cooperation, said Liu Wei. Looking into the future, the ILSTC will maintain a sound development momentum and contribute more to the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the faster formation of a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other.
Photos/Interviewees