Port construction in Yunnan Province has made significant progress in recent years. The number of operational ports has increased to 28, ranking 4th in China, while annual cargo clearance capacity has risen from 38 million tons in 2021 to 80 million tons this year.
Yunnan has upgraded 35 ports and built 45 key supporting projects, with a total investment of 5.42 billion yuan (about $760 million). Among them, Kunming Changshui International Airport has expanded international cargo routes, with 11 routes opened as of this August. The Hekou Port has increased its annual clearance capacity to 15 million people, becoming an important passenger and cargo distribution center on the China-Vietnam border. The Mohan Road Port has expanded from 4 lanes to 12 lanes, and the number of daily vehicle trips has increased from 600 to over 2,000. The Mohan Railway Port has become the largest one in China facing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Yunnan has achieved remarkable results in building smart ports. Six smart ports have been put into operation. Through cargo clearance reform, the vehicle inspection and release time at the Mohan Road Port has been reduced from ten minutes to four minutes, and the cargo clearance efficiency at Mohan Railway Port has increased by more than 30 percent.
Yunnan has also reaped fruitful results in supporting the Belt and Road Initiative. The regular operation of the “Lancang-Mekong Express+” international freight trains has effectively promoted regional economic integration. Since the launch of the China-Laos Railway, China has delivered 17,660 international trains, with cross-border commodity volume reaching 14.91 million tons.
In the future, Yunnan will continue to promote the high-quality development of its port economy, and make greater contributions to building a new development pattern and promoting high-level opening-up.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
