The multimodal transport center of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA) in China's eastern coastal city of Qingdao has evolved into a pivotal hub for international trade, seamlessly integrating sea, road, air and rail transport.
So far, the multimodal transport center has rolled out cross-border trains directly connecting with more than 20 cities in SCO member countries. With six to 10 trains arriving and departing daily, the center handles up to 2,000 containers in a single day.
Innovatively employing a one-stop multimodal transport model, it integrates customs supervision, port dispatch, and railway transportation systems, enabling seamless transfer of sea containers to railways and zero waiting time for transit goods.
Cross-border logistics efficiency has significantly improved, with a 55.4 percent year-on-year increase in transit container volume in 2024.
"Containers transported over an 80-kilometer distance between ports can achieve same-day turnover, thereby boosting logistics efficiency for businesses by over 20 percent and reducing costs by 15 percent," said Liu Tao, deputy head of the Huangdao station under China Railway Jinan Group.
At the transport center, goods from Japan and South Korea can quickly access the China-Europe freight train network through Shandong ports, reaching Europe in the west. European goods can also be redistributed to Japan and South Korea, establishing a two-way circulation trade pattern.
"In the first five months of this year, around 23,000 TEUs of goods were dispatched via the land-sea express line to Japan and South Korea, doubling the volume of the same period last year," said Zhang Peng, general manager of Shandong Hi-Speed Qiluhao Investment Development Co., Ltd.
Shandong has currently opened over 70 China-Europe rail-sea intermodal routes, with transport chains covering more than 180 countries across five continents globally. In 2024, the rail-sea intermodal volume surpassed 4.2 million TEUs.
"Next, we will focus on advancing the construction of the China-Europe freight train assembly center, expanding the SCO international logistics main channel, establishing a "gateway" for Chinese enterprises to SCO countries, ensuring the regular operation of international transport corridors across the Caspian Sea, and refining mechanisms for cross-regional consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, " said Guo Xiaozhong, deputy director of the SCODA management committee.
Multimodal transport center accelerates building of global transport network
China will take more effective measures to improve people's wellbeing, especially in education, healthcare, and social security, an official said Thursday in Beijing at a press conference on the interpretation of this year's government work report, which was submitted to the national legislature for deliberation earlier in the day.
Shen Danyang, head of the government work report drafting team and director of the State Council Research Office, said centering on enhancing educational equity and quality, the report made arrangements for education at all educational stages and of all types.
"Regarding preschool education, the policy of free education in the year prior to entering primary school will continue to be implemented this year, which is commonly referred to as free admission to the senior class of kindergartens. So, how can the income reduction of kindergartens be addressed? Subsidies will be provided by both the central and local governments, with the central government taking the lion's share. This year, the funds allocated to support the development of preschool education will increase significantly by 37.8 percent to ensure the implementation of the beneficial policy," he said.
Regarding senior high school education, Shen said the report stated that the supply of regular senior high school places will be increased,
Specifically, for areas with a continuous net inflow of population, a number of regular high schools will be planned and constructed on an annual basis. For regions with a temporary shortage of school places, priority will be given to the renovation and expansion of existing teaching buildings, student dormitories and canteens, he said.
Shen said the report put forward many supportive measures in healthcare.
"For instance, it urged efforts to strengthen coordination in drug use at the grassroots level, which mean improving the list of essential drugs, and optimizing the channels for drug supply and drug use coordination between upper- and lower-level medical and health institutions to make it more convenient for the public to use drugs at their doorstep. Besides, the report has made arrangements for supporting the development of innovative drugs for the third consecutive year. This year, China will strengthen the coordination of supportive policies in an all-round way, further address issues such as the barriers facing innovative drugs entering hospitals, and better meet the diverse medical and medication needs of the people," he said.
In terms of social security, Shen said the report proposed to continue raising the minimum standard of basic pensions for urban and rural residents -- a policy will benefit over 180 million elderly people.
"The central government will allocate 1.25 trillion yuan (about 181.25 billion U.S. dollars) in subsidy funds to ensure the timely and full payment of pensions. In response to the insufficient protection of the rights and interests of people engaging in new occupations, the report proposed to steadily and orderly expand the scale of the pilot program for occupational injury insurance. This year, the policy will cover 31 provincial-level regions across the country and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Meanwhile, enterprises specializing in travel, instant delivery and intra-city freight delivery will be included in the pilot program, which will ensure the safety of more laborers, such as food delivery workers and online car-hailing drivers," he said.
China to improve people's wellbeing in education, healthcare, social security: official
