On September 21, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) released the list of the first 15 cities working for the improvement of China’s integrated freight hubs in 2022, and Jinan was among them.

China’s integrated freight hubs act as key nodes and support for the country’s comprehensive transport network and are also important carriers of the integrated connection of multiple transportation means. The cities on the list aim to significantly improve the integrated freight hubs’ utilization efficiency of transport capacity, transport service quality and operation mechanic sustainability. Meanwhile, they will also play a positive role in increasing circulation efficiency, enhancing circulation capability and lowering circulation costs. Eventually, they will bring out the aggregating effect of flows of funds, information, commerce and trade, better serve major industry and supply chains, and drive the high-quality economic development of surrounding areas.

Wang Songbo, deputy director of the MOT’s Department of Integrated Planning, said in an interview, the MOT will strengthen the synergy of departments and the central and local authorities, improve and combine the transport network and freight hubs, and strive to create an inter-connected, easily available, smoothly-operating, economically efficient, environmentally friendly, intelligent and powerful integrated fright hub system, so as to strongly support the safety and stability of industry and supply chains and better promote high-quality economic development.