China promotes the upgrading and upgrading of the development of the western region

According to Reuters on January 5th, China introduced 15 measures to promote the development of the western region by building logistics infrastructure such as ports and aviation hubs

According to official media reports, these measures include supporting the construction of international aviation hubs in cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi'an, and Urumqi, as well as developing comprehensive bonded zones and integrating them with ports and other transportation channels

The report points out that China has long sought to enhance the economic status of its western regions. China is also striving to strengthen its connections with Europe and South Asia through the construction of trade corridors, including railway freight routes

On January 5th, EFE reported that China announced a package of measures to strengthen the development of the western region, with a focus on building international aviation hubs in cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi'an, and Urumqi

The General Administration of Customs of China pointed out that these measures will improve the integration of sea, land, and air transportation services in western China. The institution stated that it will explore multiple other reforms

The report suggests that Xinjiang will become one of the beneficiary areas of these measures. In recent years, the Chinese government has invested heavily in building highways, railways, airports, and logistics centers in Xinjiang in response to Western criticism of the region as a means of promoting development

The website of Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reported on January 5 that the General Administration of Customs of China has issued 15 measures to further promote the development of western China, including supporting the opening of ports and the construction of international aviation hubs

According to reports, the measures announced by the General Administration of Customs of China include opening up port construction, developing characteristic advantageous industries, building a strong national and ecological defense line, and creating a first-class port business environment

In terms of open port construction, the General Administration of Customs of China will support eligible regions to apply for port opening or expand opening, support the construction of smart ports, and explore facilitation measures for transportation modes such as river sea intermodal and rail sea intermodal

The General Administration of Customs of China has also proposed to support the construction of international aviation hubs in cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi'an, and Urumqi, and to support the establishment of comprehensive bonded zones in eligible areas to carry out the reform of "district port integration"

In promoting advantageous industries, the General Administration of Customs of China will support enterprises in traditional industries to import advanced technology, important equipment, and key components, and promote the expansion of exports of advantageous products such as vegetables, fruits, tea, traditional Chinese medicine, and alcoholic beverages

The measures to create a first-class port business environment include establishing a customs cooperation mechanism in the western region and strengthening cooperation between customs in the western, central, and eastern regions

Yao Shujie, a professor of Chongqing University, pointed out in an interview with the Lianhe Zaobao that the real economy in western China has made remarkable progress over the years, and the development gap between regions is steadily narrowing. For example, Chengdu Chongqing region has now become one of the important economic centers. However, due to the relatively high cost of promoting the development of the western region, the overall development speed cannot be compared to that of the eastern region

Yao Shujie believes that this round of measures promises to improve the smoothness of trade logistics and other aspects from the perspective of institutional mechanisms