In order to increase international trade and encourage new business ventures, China will renovate its border ports with an emphasis on enhancing connections with its neighbors.
A strong ecosystem of intelligent connectivity, cooperative coordination, and effective operations among all ports will be established by 2030, according to the General Administration of Customs’ (GAC) National Office of Port Administration, in order to further facilitate cross-border trade.
Ports—such as seaports, international airports, and border ports—are essential conduits for trade, economic cooperation, and foreign exchange and act as entry points to a nation’s external interactions. They are crucial pieces of infrastructure for encouraging receptivity to the outside world.
The province of Yunnan shares a border with neighboring Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar that spans more than 4,000 kilometers. It has set up 22 border trade markets that span all border cities and prefectures.
According to data from Kunming Customs, Yunnan’s border trade reached 20.03 billion yuan ($2.82 billion) in 2023, rising 55.3 percent from the previous year. This trade helped the border areas’ social and economic development.
Last year, 181 million metric tons of cargo were imported and exported through China’s border ports, making up 4.16 percent of the country’s total, according to the GAC.
There are 311 ports in China that are accessible to the outside world; these comprise 84 road ports, 85 airports, 17 railway ports, and 125 seaports.
Ninety-five of them are border ports, which are crucial conduits for trade and human traffic between China and its neighbors. At the moment, China has border ports with eleven of its neighbors.
