A sea-air-land multimodal logistics model is gaining traction in China, effectively combining speed, cost control and last-mile flexibility to move high-value goods and open new international freight channels.
Air cargo is typically used for time-sensitive, high-value products such as fresh seafood and electronics; however, high prices and limited flexibility can constrain single-mode transport. An integrated solution that synchronizes air, sea and road transport is now addressing a broader range of market needs.
The operations at Ningbo Lishe International Airport in east China's Zhejiang Province exemplify this efficient model.
At around 19:00, a chartered freighter carrying 13 tonnes of live swimming crabs, a specialty from Zhejiang, landed at the cargo terminal.
Some of the crabs were picked up directly at the airport and sent to local markets, while others were transported via "truck flights" to cities such as Shanghai and Hangzhou.
The road part of the air-land transfer is handled by vehicles known as "truck flights," or "virtual flights," which are valued for their flexibility and speed.
"These are usually high-value-added goods such as electronic components, fresh products and spare parts. Compared with traditional cargo, they require higher timeliness and stronger safety guarantees," said Lu Jiawei, a truck-flight driver.
Cargo flights in China have continued to expand this year, averaging 1,767 flights per week, up 15.7 percent from a year earlier, according to civil aviation data released recently.
By the end of November, China had 13 dedicated cargo airlines operating 288 freighters, 20 more than at the end of last year, signaling enhanced air transport capacity.
Multimodal transport in China opens new int'l logistics channels
An international academic symposium was held on Saturday at the Xizang Museum in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, to mark the 75th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of the region.
Perched on the Roof of the World, the Xizang Museum is the first modern museum on the plateau.
On the 75th anniversary of Xizang's peaceful liberation, it welcomed a group of international scholars to reflect on the region's transformation and future.
Greening efforts on the highest region on Earth have seen major strides.
Forest coverage has risen from less than 1 percent in 1951 to 12.5 percent today.
"Even here you see around the mountains of Lhasa here, the massive large-scale plantation. There is a big lesson to learn now to other parts of the world and other countries also to come. This is the conservation. We should move this way," said Krishna Prasad Oli, former Nepali ambassador to China. Nestled in the Himalayas is not just Xizang's natural beauty, but its unique culture.
Over the past few decades, the central government has invested billions of yuan in the region's heritage protection.
"In general there are so many rumors that are just not true. For example, there are rumors in our media that China suppresses the Tibetan language. A very simple thing is on the street that you see signs and two languages everywhere (in Mandarin and in Tibetan). Even in Austria and the minority areas, there are big discussions if we should write something in minority languages. But in China it is not a problem. So China's handling this is far better than Austria," said Georg, Vavra, an Austrian historian.
The most ambitious and costly undertaking on the plateau since its liberation has been building modern infrastructure.
Today, Xizang boasts a network of roads and railways that continues to expand.
"It just so happens that yesterday I traveled by train from Nyingchi to Lhasa. The UK is a country of 60 million people and has been struggling and failing for 17 years to build 150 kilometers of high speed rail. Now if you consider Xizang with a population of 4 or 5 million, they could never undertake a project of that scale, and that is what China is trying to do. China is the only country in the world that has a genuine interest in the prosperity and the development of Xizang," said David Ferguson, a Scottish commentator.
Beyond traditional industries, emerging sectors are also taking root in China's western frontier.
"In the 75 years since its peaceful liberation, Xizang has built its scientific and technological capabilities from the ground up. It has become a driving force behind the region's economic and social progress," said Nyima Tashi, a professor with the School of Information Science and Technology under Xizang University.
Int'l scholars gather in Xizang to review regional development over past 75 years
