In 2018, Qingdao Port handled a total of 1.15 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) by sea-rail intermodal transportation, an increase of 48.7 percent over the same period of 2017, according to the latest statistics.

It is China's first coastal port with a sea-rail intermodal transportation capacity exceeding one million TEU, and has won the championship among national ports for the fourth consecutive year.

In recent years, Qingdao Port has implemented the Belt and Road Initiative, and has built a safe, convenient and efficient logistics "golden channel" with optimal allocation of sea-oriented and land-oriented two-way resources.

It has enhanced the competitiveness of Qingdao Port as the "sea gate" and "bridgehead" along the Silk Road Economic Belt, providing trade facilitation and efficient logistics support for countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

Qingdao Port has gathered more than 160 container routes, ranking first in the ports of northern China. They service more than 70 routes heading to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Europe, the Black Sea, Russia, Africa and Australia. The port has thus developed a network of large-scale maritime trade routes connecting countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road.

Relying on the advantages of sea-rail intermodal transportation, Qingdao Port has strengthened the construction of inland ports, improved the grid marketing layout, and continuously increased its market share of sea-rail intermodal transportation.

At present, Qingdao Port has opened a total of 40 express railways, including five international routes, forming a network layout that covers Shandong and radiates to the Yellow River and Central Asia.

Qingdao Port's imports from member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have recently increased significantly.

The four freight trains of the sea-rail intermodal transportation running through Alashankou, Horgos, Erlianhaote and Manzhouli have achieved double-digit growth.

The travel time for freight trains heading to Central Asia has been reduced from the original maritime transport of nearly one month to 12-16 days.

Policy support for the national demonstration project of Qingdao Port's sea-rail intermodal transportation has also gradually emerged.

The demonstration project of Qingdao Belt and Road cross-border container sea-rail intermodal transportation has achieved integrated operations through the Jiaozhou-Huangdao freight train, the Central Asian cross-border container train and the China-Korea Express Railway.

Qingdao Port has strengthened cooperation with big ship companies, promoted a through bill of lading operation mode and opened up sea and land two-way logistics channels. 

The CRIntermodal Qingdao center is China's first multi-modal transport customs supervision center in coastal area approved by the General Administration of Customs. When the goods enter the center, they are considered to have arrived at the front of the terminal. Reports can be delivered upon the arrival of the goods.

In the future, Qingdao Port will also cooperate with the inland hub cities of Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai and Urumqi to build a sea-rail intermodal transit base and three core areas along the Yellow River basin in eastern, central and western China.

"In the new historical period, Qingdao Port will continue to implement the Belt and Road Initiative with the goal of accelerating the construction of a world-class ocean port, and build a modern logistics system focusing on sea-rail intermodal transportation," said Li Fengli, president of Qingdao Port Group.

Qingdao Port will make efforts to connect the four major economic circles of Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, Central Asia and Europe, accelerate the integration of land and sea, and realize mutual exchange in the east, middle and west areas, he added.

An employee oversees loading of containers at Qingdao Port, Shandong province. [Photo by Zhang Jingang/For China Daily]

A heavy-duty truck transports containers at a foreign trade container terminal in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, on June 8, 2018. [Photo/VCG] 

Containers carrying goods for export are seen in Qingdao Port, East China's Shandong province, on Oct 19, 2018. [Photo/VCG]