Twin ports: Key northeastern belt, road junction gets connected

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Changchun's plan to build two internationally integrated ports in its new area will accelerate Northeast China's structural economic upgrade and promote international trade with Eurasia.

As capital of Jilin province, Changchun is a key junction on the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The construction of two ports — an airport and an inland port — will build Changchun into an international logistics hub.

The plan is central to the Changchun government's commitment to establishing its new area and revitalizing Northeast China's old industrial economy.

With a planned area of 499 square kilometers, Changchun New Area will help to accelerate construction related to the Belt and Road Initiative and deepen regional cooperation with neighboring countries, experts said.

Changchun will break with the old model in developing its new area.

The city is taking advantage of its important location — at the center of the new Eurasian Land Bridge — by constructing twin ports to develop a sophisticated transport system that will incorporate air routes, railways and highways.

Such an integrated transport system will improve logistics, in turn leading to the development of the city and its industries, all of which contribute to accelerating overall economic growth. It will help Changchun to integrate with European and Asian markets and reduce logistics costs.

In the near future, Changchun will achieve regional advantages across Europe, Japan, Russia and the Republic of Korea.

An international airport

The new international airport will be based on the redevelopment of the existing Changchun Longjia International Airport and the Changchun Airport Economic Development Zone, according to the plans.

The new area has signed an agreement with Guangdong Longhao Aviation Group to rework and expand Longjia Airport, and to explore an airport cargo clearance system.

The city government is transforming the airport into an integrated transportation hub that can link airlines, intercity railroads, subways and public roads.

It is also looking to expand its air route network, with more connections and 72-hour visa-free transit via Longjia airport.

Meanwhile, other plans in the pipeline include cooperation agreements for customs clearance systems with major domestic customs houses and promotion of cross-border e-commerce trade.

The airport plans to build three runways and to increase its annual passenger capacity to 60 million, with annual cargo throughput rising to 3 million metric tons.

Through opening new passenger and cargo routes that will connect to Russia and northern Europe, Longjia airport will increase its transport capacity and become an airline logistics hub in Northeast Asia.

The airport will be multifunctional, incorporating an e-port center, a cross-border e-commerce center, an international logistics information platform and an express goods customs supervision center.

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An international land port

The other key project on the table for Changchun New Area is an international logistics port, or a land port, with connections across Eurasia.

Set to be the largest railway logistics center in Northeast China, it will be an international, comprehensive link for harbors, railways and roads.

Extending out from Changchun, the comprehensive transport corridor of railways and roads will connect to 31 land ports, 10 airports and harbors throughout the world.

The plans forecast the inland harbor's freight volume reaching 33 million metric tons a year by the end of 2030.

The inland harbor, railway and road connections' advantage is expected to attract many cross-border e-commerce businesses and logistics companies to settle down in the new area.

Four railway routes will pass through Changchun.

The main route links Changchun to other big northeastern cities, including Heihe and Harbin in Heilongjiang province, and Shenyang and Dalian in Liaoning province.

This will cross with a line starting in Europe and traveling through Central Asia, Choybalsan in Mongolia, Arshaan in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Baicheng in Jilin province, and Changchun to Rashin port in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The other two lines crossing each other in an 'X', will connect Tongjiang in Heilongjiang with the Tianjin railway line, and Chita in Russia with the Dandong railway in Liaoning.

Located at the center of Changchun New Area, the port will include two rail yards, three specialist centers and six logistics zones.

One of the inland railway ports will accumulate goods from northeastern Asian countries, while the other will be a highway freight hub, serving regional needs.

The three centers comprise an international trade services center providing customs clearance and financial services, a logistics research center focused on building a logistics information system and developing internet of things technologies, and a demonstration center that will exhibit imported goods from northeastern Asian countries.

The six logistics zones will provide various services to specific sectors.

The professional logistics zone will serve the automotive, medical and home appliance industries.

The equipment logistics zones will focus on manufacturing goods, and the e-commerce zones will provide services for cross-border e-commerce businesses and traditional e-commerce platforms.

Investment invitation projects

The Changchun government will release many investment projects during the construction of the two ports, welcoming overseas and domestic companies to invest in Changchun.

The airport intends to gather airline companies' headquarters in the future by building the required offices, commercial buildings, research and development centers, operational and clearance centers and technical service centers.

Public facilities such as hotels, high-end apartments, hospitals and supermarkets are also included in the plans.

In addition, the new area aims to become a manufacturing base for sectors such as aviation equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The government hopes to attract global aviation equipment manufacturers, including those specializing in design and alternation, via new R&D centers to assist in the production of light fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and special-function airplanes.

A drone manufacturing base will cover the functions of producing unmanned aerial vehicles, spare parts and related accessories. Companies focusing on producing drones, software research and aftersales services will be welcomed to the new area.

At the airport, air command centers, office buildings and air traffic control systems will be built. Terminal buildings, freight centers, parking aprons for helicopters and light aircraft are also expected.

In addition, the new area will establish a general aviation school focusing on highly-skilled personnel training.

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The area is considering recruiting schools to set up sub-campuses, while an experience center will provide enthusiasts with private training opportunities.

To achieve this, Changchun government intends to set up an aviation development fund to attract capital and investment from financial institutions, investment firms and social capital.

The construction of Changchun New Area and twin logistics ports needs the support of the whole province, Chinese and foreign experts said, adding that the Jilin provincial government should vitalize the province's strength to develop the new area.

Policy support and institutional innovation are important for Changchun to develop its new area and build logistics hubs, they also said.

Zhu Ruolin, a professional assessor of city planning with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, also said the airport is an important contributor to Changchun's economic development, and that the construction process needs support from the provincial government.

According to Zhu, the Jilin provincial government should recognize the power of the airports in leading the regional economy and try to instate preferential policies from the central government.

Wang Yunfang, a professor with the Civil Aviation Management Institute of China, said the construction of inland ports in Changchun New Area would make international trade between Europe and Northeast China more convenient.

Wang suggested Changchun learn from the Shanghai free trade zone's management experience in investment, finance, service and supervision.

He believes that the Changchun inland ports benefit from new opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative, free trade and the country's policies for the revitalization in northeastern areas.

The area aims to take advantage of urbanization, the development of the service economy and high-end industries.

Changchun's new area is also trying to learn from the successful management of logistics centers around the world. One is the Kansas logistics park in the United States. Located in the center of the US, Kansas is a major transport hub for rails and roads.

Cargo and goods from the western harbors of the US are transported to Kansas by railways, and then distributed to various destinations by road.

Memphis, also in the central US, is another example.

After Fedex settled its headquarters in Memphis in the 1970s and launched cargo airlines here, logistics and distribution industries began to accumulate in the city. Many large companies have established their distribution service centers here.

Dubai free trade zones also provide good examples of connecting trade and industries. Wholesale and retail occupies about 30 percent of Dubai's GDP currently, followed by transport, communication and property.

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