China’s Chongqing rises as global rail hub linking Asean, EU amid trade war risks
The metropolis is already a rail-powered gateway to foreign markets – now, it wants to go one step further
Ji Siqi in Beijing
Published: 9:00am, 24 Jun 2025Updated: 3:26pm, 15 Jul 2025
This is the first story in a three-part seriesexploring how China is betting on regional hubs to counter global headwinds and reshape its economy. In this piece, we focus on Chongqing’s rise as a strategic gateway advancing Beijing’s trade ambitions.
In Tuanjie Village, in the heart of Chongqing – China’s largest inland city, best known for its spicy hotpot – orange gantry cranes hoist cargo onto goods trains bound for Europe and Russia. Each day, hundreds of containers pass through the sprawling 82,000-square-metre yard, exporting electric vehicles and components or returning with cars, meat, wine and dairy.
Just a five-minute drive away, blue cranes mark another yard – this one unloading tropical fruits and raw materials from Southeast Asia.
Over the past decade, the southwestern Chinese metropolis has evolved into a hub of international trade, thanks to the launch of two expansive cross-border rail networks. One runs west to Germany and the other extends south, reaching as far as Singapore – trade corridors that give China faster, more reliable access to global markets while offering other countries a clear route into its vast interior.