A total of 8,830 TEUs of cargo valued at approximately RMB 845 million—between January and April alone, the freight volume of China-Europe Railway Express services operated through Changchun New Area has already topped the full-year total for 2025. Meanwhile, cumulative shipments via the "sea-rail intermodal transport" network have reached 10,096 TEUs. These figures point to the robust momentum behind Changchun New Area's opening-up during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Only months after the official launch of the sea-rail intermodal transport corridor for foreign trade connecting Yuanda Station in Changchun New Area with Jingang Station in Dalian earlier this year, the two major international logistics corridors—the China-Europe Railway Express and the sea-rail intermodal transport—have already begun yielding "traffic dividends". Changchun New Area's land port hub has achieved leapfrog development, transitioning from basic infrastructure connectivity to a rapid surge in logistics throughput.

Behind the data is the concerted effort of Jilin Oriental Land Port Development Co., Ltd., the operating entity of the hub. Leveraging the customs-supervised operating facilities in Changchun New Area and working together with Jilin Logistics Group and Changchun Yunshi Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd., the company has injected strong momentum into the development of a national land port logistics hub. Measures such as bolstering container supply organization, deepening multi-party coordination, and upgrading station services have all contributed to this progress.

To address the longstanding challenge faced by Jilin enterprises in securing shipping containers, the customs-supervised operating facilities in Changchun New Area have deepened strategic cooperation with Russian Railways BA and China Railway International Multimodal Transport. By opening dedicated China-Russia cross-border channels and ensuring stable container supply, Changchun New Area now possesses the capacity to handle large international orders across multiple trade routes. Changchun Xinglong Customs has also upgraded its front-line services by streamlining inspection procedures and shortening customs clearance times. The Changchun Railway Logistics Center prioritizes scheduling to guarantee railcar availability, while Liaoning Port Group has implemented "green channels" for port entry and direct loading upon arrival. Through coordinated efforts among all stakeholders, the total transit time for sea-rail intermodal transport has been compressed to approximately eight hours. Supported by an intelligent logistics yard management system, the customs-supervised operating facilities in Changchun New Area now provide visualized container dispatching and 24-hour responsive operations, enabling a fully closed-loop process for loading and unloading, customs declaration, and inspection that has substantially lightened burdens for enterprises.

Building on its solid operational foundation, Jilin Oriental Land Port Development Co., Ltd. has actively leveraged its role as the hub's operating entity. Relying on its own international freight forwarding and customs brokerage qualifications, the company has expanded its nationwide agency network by sealing agreements with platform operators in Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Beijing, and Shenyang, among others, thereby becoming a first-tier agent for China-Europe Railway Express services in multiple regions. This initiative has not only markedly boosted its capacity to secure freight space, but also signaled the company's transition from a mere local terminal operator to a player in nationwide China-Europe Railway Express capacity operations, enabling enterprises in Jilin Province to book cargo space across the country right at their doorstep.

Jilin Oriental Land Port Development Co., Ltd., in collaboration with Jilin Logistics Group, has focused its efforts on developing a two-way logistics model featuring "fully loaded outbound and return journeys". On the export side, thanks to the logistics group's strengths in cargo organization, a total of 44 outbound freight train trips were operated from January to April, with a cargo value of approximately RMB 640 million. With such major exports as machinery and equipment, chemical products, finished vehicles, and household appliances, it has managed to meet the outbound transportation needs of key provincial industries. On the import side, the logistics group actively expands return cargo sources and has mobilized 68 inbound freight train trips with a cargo value of approximately RMB 203 million, further optimizing the operating structure of the rail services. Through close coordination between provincial and local platforms, stable transport channels have been established to facilitate the export of products made in Jilin and the import of quality resources from overseas.

The newly launched sea-rail intermodal transport project in Changchun New Area has emerged as a particularly strong new growth driver this year. This fast corridor—capable of "departing in the morning and arriving by noon"—is delivering a steady stream of Jilin-made products such as automobiles and auto parts, agricultural produce, and chemical products to markets in Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America.

The strong first-quarter performance of the China-Europe Railway Express services mirrors Changchun New Area's opening-up. From "borrowing ships to go overseas" to "building ships to go overseas", Changchun New Area is steadily shaping a new pattern of opening-up marked by "building connections with other countries over land and sea while creating synergy between China's eastern and western regions". Looking ahead, Changchun New Area will continue deepening multi-party cooperation while exploring new business models such as cold-chain freight trains and dedicated cross-border e-commerce rail services, in a bid to inject fresh momentum into Jilin Province's integration into the domestic and international dual-circulation development framework.

Source: Xinhuanet  Editor: Liu Jiadi