Chongqing will continue to strengthen its role as a comprehensive inland opening-up hub, with plans to double freight volume, freight value and hub-channel intermodal transport volume over the next five years.

Vice-Mayor Zheng Xiangdong outlined the municipality's development goals for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30) at a news conference on Wednesday.

Zheng said that by 2030, freight volume through the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is expected to exceed 500,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs. The total import and export value of the city is projected to surpass 900 billion yuan ($133 billion), positioning Chongqing as a key hub in industrial and supply chains linking European markets, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets.

The city's total economic output is also expected to reach 4 trillion yuan, with per capita GDP reaching 140,000 yuan by 2030. Chongqing has become the first city in central and western China to surpass 3 trillion yuan in GDP over the past five years.

Located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing enjoys significant geographic advantages as a strategic pivot in national development initiatives for China's western regions and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.

Its strong industrial base further reinforces its role in these national strategies. The city also serves as a vital link between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, supported by an integrated network connecting the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the China-Europe Railway Express and the Yangtze River Golden Waterway.

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, with its operational hub in Chongqing, has become a key artery connecting western China with global markets in recent years. It now links Chongqing to 593 ports across 128 countries, with container volumes and freight value more than tripling during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

"We aim to cultivate new advantages in expanding high-level opening-up," Zheng said.

Chongqing plans to build a logistics hub economic zone, promoting integrated development of transportation, trade and industry.