A few days ago, a batch of live Russian king crabs weighing 650 kilograms entered China via Hunchun Port. The crabs were then transferred via multimodal transports to Changchun Longjia International Airport and reached Hong Kong the same day aboard a Changchun-Hong Kong flight.

This cross-border transport, backed by the efficient coordination of the Changchun Municipal Bureau of Commerce and collaborative efforts across multiple departments, achieved a seamless process from import clearance, export declaration, and inspection and quarantine to loading and takeoff. This operation serves as a compelling example of Changchun's open approach to driving industrial upgrading through institutional innovation and policy support. This efficient logistics model not only provides Changchun with valuable experience in customs clearance for high-value-added fresh products, but also stands as a vivid testament to the city's commitment to advancing opening-up and facilitating cross-border trade.

In 2026, the crucial starting year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, Changchun is poised to embrace historic opportunities for making significant breakthroughs in its opening-up endeavors. Changchun is rallying all sectors to build a strategic gateway for northward opening-up. With the Xinglong Comprehensive Bonded Zone as a key platform, the city is rolling out the targeted "1+5" Opening-Up Strategy – making the Bonded Zone the core engine (the "1") while driving coordinated efforts on five fronts: business entities, foreign trade products, international markets, opening-up models, and collaboration.

To achieve this strategic goal, Changchun is following a clear path: devising targeted measures to tackle challenges, setting quantitative targets to define the direction of breakthroughs, and ensuring that every goal and task is executed in a concrete and precise manner. This year, Changchun targets a 10% growth in total import and export volume, with more than 15,000 TEUs carried by China-Europe Railway Express trains (up over 18% year-on-year). The city also expects to add over 200 foreign trade entities, exceed 500 trips in total TIR transport volume, reach 11,000 TEUs in sea-rail intermodal transport throughput, and achieve over 50% growth in cross-border e-commerce with Russia.

Source: Adapted from a Report by Changchun Daily Convergence Media  Editor: Liu Jiadi