The exhibition area for the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, at the Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade. [Photo/Visual Chongqing]

Chongqing's position as a landlocked municipality in Southwest China does not prevent it from embracing the world – and an extensive and even vast multimodal transportation network consisting of roads, railways, shipping and airways that has developed in recent years is said to have made it a preeminent international inland logistics and trading hub.

The China-Europe freight train (Chongqing-Singapore-Europe), going westwards, radiates out to 72 cities in 27 countries and the Yangtze River – the golden waterway in China – goes eastwards and has been used by Chongqing to construct smart logistic programs.

The Chongqing-Manzhouli-Russia freight railway going northwards has boosted the municipality's trade connections with Russia, while the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor going westwards has become a national endeavor, as well as a powerful means for Chongqing to reach 315 ports in 107 countries and regions around the globe.

The China (Chongqing) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) was inaugurated in 2017. In the past five years, the FTZ has registered 65,000 new market entities and its foreign-funded enterprises now account for 20 percent of Chongqing's total enterprises. In addition, the FTZ also contributes about 70 percent to the municipality's exports and imports.

Last year, the value of Chongqing's foreign trade topped 800 billion yuan ($110.24 billion). It is estimated that Chongqing's total exports and imports will surge to 860 billion yuan this year.