The Western Land-Sea New Corridor is the main channel for goods to go to sea and border in western China, and the fastest and most convenient international logistics channel connecting China and ASEAN under the framework of RCEP. As we all know, the construction of a new land-sea corridor in the west is a major decision made by the Communist Party of China and an important strategic task put forward in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. In the context of the grand national narrative, the construction of the new land-sea corridor in the western region has significant practical significance and far-reaching historical significance, and we might as well explain it from the vertical and horizontal levels.
Vertical: Parallel to the two strategies of "western development" and "transportation power".
Vertically speaking, if the construction of the new land-sea corridor in the western region is positioned on the time axis, it will naturally be regarded as a phased special strengthening of the strategy for the large-scale development of the western region. Among the series of strategies of the state to promote the coordinated development of the regional economy, the large-scale development of the western region is an important part of it, and the historic achievements made in the past 20 years and more since its implementation are obvious to all. Although the "large-scale development of the western region" is no longer a hot word today, it does not mean that the country's top-level design has been weakened or even changed. Against the background of the fact that the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development in the western region is still prominent, the development of the western region is a long-term strategy that has a bearing on the overall situation of Chinese-style modernization, and at present and for a long time to come, "it is necessary to regard the promotion of Chinese-style modernization as the most important politics." The "large-scale development of the western region" is a complex systems engineering project and an arduous historical task, and it will never change.
However, in order to meet the new requirements of socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era and regional coordinated development entering a new stage, it is imperative to promote the large-scale development of the western region and form a new pattern. In May 2020, the Communist Party of China (CPC) put forward relevant guidance to promote the high-quality development of the western region based on regional resource endowments and new advantages. In August 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) issued a notice on the Implementation Plan for Promoting the High-Quality Construction of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor during the 14th Five-Year Plan, two years after the launch of the Master Plan for the New Western Land-Sea Corridor. The construction of a new land-sea corridor in the western region is obviously an integral part of the task of promoting the large-scale development of the western region and forming a new pattern.
The construction of the new land-sea corridor in the western region goes hand in hand with the construction of a transportation power. In the month following the launch of the "Master Plan for the New Western Land-Sea Corridor" (that is, in September 2019), the Communist Party of China issued the "Outline for the Construction of a Transportation Power". The first batch of pilot projects for the construction of transportation powers include Chongqing, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Xinjiang in the west, which are the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities that have joined the cooperation mechanism for the joint construction of the new western land-sea corridor. According to the outline development goals, by 2035, the country will basically become a transportation power, and the relatively backward western region must be the focus and difficulty of promoting the work.
Opening up the new land-sea corridor in the western region is not a single transportation infrastructure construction, and it is necessary not only to build a smooth and efficient main corridor, but also to build a channel economy that has begun to take shape. By enhancing the empowerment of digital, financial, and technology, we will realize the in-depth integration and development of channels, industries, and technologies, and ultimately lead to the central work of economic construction and the primary task of high-quality development. Of course, the new land-sea corridor should first play a supporting and leading role in transportation, as mentioned in the "Outline for the Construction of a Transportation Power", "strengthening the western region to make up for shortcomings", which is an important part of the overall layout under the concept of "big transportation".
Horizontal: Coordinate with the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen inter-provincial and inter-ministerial international cooperation
The new western land-sea corridor has connected the China-Europe Railway Express with the Yangtze River ** waterway, and will realize the smooth connection between the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation announced China's eight actions to support high-quality joint cooperation, including building a three-dimensional connectivity network, and once again proposed to accelerate the construction of new land-sea corridors. With the deepening of the two-way opening up of land and sea and the deepening of mutual assistance between the east and the west, the western region will surely promote a new round of regional economic growth and continue to expand international economic and trade cooperation.
In addition to connecting the Silk Road Economic Belt in the north and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in the south, the horizontal coordination of the new land-sea corridor in the west also includes national strategies such as connecting the Yangtze River Economic Belt and comprehensively deepening reform and opening up in Hainan. Chongqing, which is located at the intersection of the "Belt and Road" and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, has become the main "initiator" and "promoter" of the new land-sea corridor, while relevant provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the western region have successively signed framework agreements to jointly build the new western land-sea corridor, which will eventually constitute a new pattern of "13+2". In the face of common strategic opportunities, the inter-provincial cooperation and co-construction mechanism has played an important role, and the advantages of regional strategic interaction are becoming prominent.
At present, the coordination system and mechanism need to continue to be improved, not only across regions, but also across departments and industries to form a joint force. I note that the National Development and Reform Commission has taken the lead in establishing an inter-provincial and ministerial joint conference mechanism for the construction of the new land-sea corridor in the western region, with 14 national ministries and commissions, enterprises and 5 localities, including Chongqing and Guangxi, as member unitsThe Ministry of Commerce took the lead in establishing a working mechanism for promoting the construction of a new international land-sea corridor, with 10 national ministries and commissions, enterprises and local departments along the route as the main body of deliberations. In the next step, China needs to take the initiative to "go to sea" and establish an international cooperation and coordination mechanism.
The "hard connection" of infrastructure and the "soft connection" of standard rules, any weak link will affect the overall quality and overall progress of this system project, so doing a good job in overall planning should become the consensus of all parties in the joint construction of the new western land-sea corridor. At present, it is necessary to speed up the dredging of infrastructure stuck points and blockages, promote the speed and efficiency of multimodal transport, and realize the joint construction and sharing of public data platforms. Only in this way can this new land-sea corridor that runs from north to south across mountains and seas to connect the world be perfected, and together with the Eurasian logistics corridor that runs through the east and west, can the country further open up to the outside world at a high level. (Fan Zhengli).
*: China**Net.