In the golden autumn, the land of Sanjin is surging with vitality and vitality.

The bayonet railings of Wusu Comprehensive Free Trade Zone were raised, trucks carrying cross-border e-commerce packages slowly drove in, and the "9610" customs declaration form was transferred to a new open password in the system. On the tarmac in the distance, planes in bonded warehouses are parked quietly, and the efficiency of completing customs clearance in three or four hours redefines the speed of the mainland.

The whistle of the China-Europe freight trains penetrated the morning fog, sending Taihe axles and Qixian glass to Asia and Europe, and bringing back thousands of overseas commodities. The code of the "Jinmaotong" platform jumped, and Huanghua and Yoghurt traveled across the ocean through the logistics network.

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Since 2025, Shanxi, which is "not along the border or near the sea", has continuously expanded the breadth and depth of opening up to the outside world through three-dimensional efforts: industrial upgrading, channel expansion, and institutional innovation. Data show that in the first eight months, the number of companies with import and export performance in the province reached 1,962, a year-on-year increase of 11.8%, and a net increase of 207 companies. In the first half of the year, the province's actual use of foreign investment was US$417.54 million, a year-on-year increase of 46.65%. The opening-up vitality of inland provinces continued to burst out in the land of Sanjin.

Bring in and go out

From "single point breakthrough" to "matrix development", Jinzihao brand has attracted fans around the world

On September 9, at Jinneng Photovoltaic Technology Co., Ltd. located in Jinzhong Development Zone, sheets of dark blue high-efficiency solar cells rolled off the production line, and were subsequently processed into photovoltaic modules and exported to Japan, Brazil and other countries and regions.

"The company will achieve an export volume of 120 million yuan in 2024. Foreign trade orders have maintained steady growth this year, and eight production lines are currently operating at full capacity." Qin Yanghua, deputy secretary of the Jinneng Photovoltaic Party Branch, said. The company implements the "product service" model and develops differentiated products for different countries. Currently, its business covers more than 50 countries.

In Shanxi, companies like Jinneng Photovoltaics that have taken the initiative to “go overseas” are forming a cluster effect. In the Qixian Glassware Industrial Park, Li Jiansheng, chairman of Qixian Red Sea Glass Co., Ltd., has more than a dozen unique glass artworks displayed in his office. “We focus on the research and development and production of more than 200 types of glassware such as perfume bottles, vases, and wine sets. 60% of our products are sold to Arab countries, 20% enter European markets such as Russia, and the rest cover Southeast Asia and Africa.”

From specialty agricultural products to high-end manufacturing, from traditional handicrafts to emerging industrial products, Shanxi's "diversified matrix" of foreign trade exports continues to grow: dehydrated sweet potatoes, fresh apricots, soybean flour, Datong yellow flowers and other local specialty agricultural products are accelerating their "going overseas"; Taizhong Group's high-quality wheel and axle products are exported to more than 60 countries and regions around the world, polishing the overseas business card of "Made in Shanxi"; Qixian glassware and Shuozhou ceramics sell well overseas with their exquisite craftsmanship, revitalizing traditional skills.

From "working alone" to "going overseas as a team", the international cooperation model of Shanxi enterprises is also upgrading. In the Zimbabwe Energy Metallurgical Special Economic Zone, the low-carbon metallurgical base invested and constructed by New Steel Union (Shanxi) Holding Group has been put into operation. In this special zone covering an area of ​​5,163 hectares, the fruitful results of the first phase of the project are exciting: the open-pit coal mine with recoverable reserves of 110 million tons has stabilized coal production, the CNC coal washing plant with an annual production capacity of 600,000 tons is operating efficiently, the power plant with an annual power generation of 650 million kilowatt-hours has lit up the industrial pulse, the coking plant with an annual output of 100,000 tons of coke and the smelting plant with an annual output of 200,000 tons of high-carbon ferrochrome have sprayed out dazzling steel flowers and iron flows.

"This is an exploration of the model of enterprises going overseas as a team." Li Zhiqiang, overseas director of New Steel Union (Shanxi) Holding Group Co., Ltd., told reporters.

Shanxi's opening up is not limited to the journey of "going overseas", but with a more proactive attitude and better soil, extending an olive branch of cooperation to global capital.

In recent years, our province has issued "Several Measures to Increase the Attraction of Foreign Investment in Shanxi Province" and "Implementation Opinions on Undertaking the Transfer of Foreign Manufacturing Industries in the Eastern Region" to continue to build a high-quality environment conducive to the development of foreign investment. With the implementation of a number of landmark foreign-invested projects such as the Tesla energy storage project and BASF hydrogen energy cooperation, the number of foreign-invested enterprises in Shanxi Province will increase from more than 500 in 2020 to more than 900 by the end of 2024. In the first half of this year, our province’s actual use of foreign investment was US$417.54 million.

channel transition

From "single land route" to "three-dimensional land, sea and air", the energy level of inland hubs has jumped

On September 26, at Zhongding Logistics Park, two 45-ton gantry cranes, one 50-ton gantry crane, and reach stackers stood scattered in the operation area. A large number of containers with the words "China-Europe Railway Express" printed on them were placed on the cargo yard. A China-Europe train loaded with home appliances slowly pulled out from Pingwang Station of Datong Railway Logistics Center and headed for Moscow, the capital of Russia.

The person in charge of the park said: "As an important logistics hub in our province, Zhongding Logistics Park has operated more than 800 China-Europe freight trains, and has opened more than 40 overseas city stations in 15 countries, including Duisburg, Germany, Lesosibirsk, Russia, and Paplodar, Kazakhstan."

The relevant person in charge of the Provincial Department of Commerce introduced that this year’s government work report proposed to steadily expand institutional opening up. In this regard, our province has taken the initiative to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, formed a "1 N" policy system for expanding opening-up, continuously improved and promoted the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" mechanism, accelerated the creation of various high-energy opening platforms, and promoted high-quality development with high-level opening up.

In terms of industrial cooperation platforms, we actively replicate and promote the experience of the free trade pilot zone, and continue to promote the construction of the RCEP International Cooperation Industrial Park in the Shanxi Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone, the Sino-German International Cooperation Industrial Park in the Changzhi High-tech Zone, the China-Germany International Cooperation Industrial Park in the Shanxi Transformation and Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone Jinzhong Development Zone, and the China-Denmark (Europe) International Cooperation Industrial Park in the Jincheng Economic and Technological Development Zone.

In terms of ports and open platforms, it has three air ports in Taiyuan, Datong and Yuncheng, and a cross-border e-commerce comprehensive service platform is online; it has Taiyuan Wusu Comprehensive Bonded Zone and three B-type bonded logistics centers in Linfen Fanglue, Jincheng Orchid and Datong International Land Port, as well as three designated inspection sites for imported fruits and chilled aquatic products in Taiyuan Wusu Comprehensive Bonded Zone and imported meat at Datong International Land Port.

In terms of open channel construction, transportation infrastructure is used as the skeleton to build a "land, sea and air" multimodal transport channel to break the inland location restrictions. In terms of air channels, a "one point and multiple lines" air logistics channel has been built with Taiyuan as the center and Yuncheng and Datong as branches; in terms of land channels, logistics channels from Shanxi to Horgos (Alashankou), Erenhot and Manzhouli have been built; in terms of land and sea channels, rail-sea intermodal trains have been launched to Tianjin Port, Qingdao Port and other ports.

In addition, the second phase of the Taiyuan International Mail Exchange Bureau (exchange station) project was completed and put into operation, the Taiyuan Wusu International Airport international air cargo logistics base was officially opened, and the Mexico City-Taiyuan-Pudong-Chicago and Taiyuan-Almaty all-cargo regular cargo routes were opened, further improving Shanxi's international logistics capabilities.

Data shows that the annual international air cargo logistics throughput of Taiyuan Wusu International Airport has increased to 500,000 tons; the international mail processing capacity of Taiyuan International Mail Exchange Bureau has tripled, achieving "same-day collection and delivery, next-day closure". The "ecosystem" of the three cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones in Taiyuan, Datong and Yuncheng has accelerated, driving the export of specialty products such as Qixian glass and Huairen ceramics to increase by more than 40%; Huayuan Dry Port has actively expanded its overseas service network and set up ten overseas warehouses in countries such as Germany, Spain, Poland, France and the United Arab Emirates, covering key markets such as Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The system is broken

From "policy support" to "environmental optimization", the fertile soil for opening up continues to be cultivated

"In July last year, shipping vessels were tight and export products were backlogged, which required bonded warehousing. Wusu Comprehensive Free Trade Zone Service Center and Waigaoqiao Shanxi Operation Company sent special personnel to help us explain policies and inspect warehouses, and the problem was quickly solved." Recently, when talking about the "separation of management and transportation" reform in Wusu Comprehensive Free Trade Zone, Wang Dong, director of the Production Safety Office of Taiyuan Heavy Industry Rail Transit Equipment Co., Ltd., was deeply moved. "The professional services brought by the reform have given real help to the enterprise."

As the first comprehensive bonded zone in Shanxi, Wusu Comprehensive Bonded Zone has introduced Shanghai Waigaoqiao Group to promote the reform of separation of management and operations, create a comprehensive import and export service platform for the province, and fill the gaps in many provincial businesses such as bonded warehousing of overseas aircraft, aviation materials trade, and financial leasing.

Taking reform as the driving force and stepping into the "fast lane" of development, the Wusu Comprehensive Free Trade Zone's approach is a vivid footnote to Shanxi's efforts to promote the reform of the opening-up system.

The development of an open economy is inseparable from a good ecology that is inclusive and beneficial to all. For Shanxi, which does not border borders or seas, optimizing the business environment and stimulating market vitality is to liberate productivity and enhance competitiveness. It will also help Shanxi break geographical constraints and participate in the global division of labor at a higher level. Since 2025, our province has continued to optimize foreign investment services, established a foreign investment industry transfer promotion service contact center, and built a "Home for Foreign Enterprises" comprehensive service guarantee platform to provide foreign-invested enterprises with "one-stop" services such as policy consultation, project docking, and complaint coordination. Currently, the platform has served more than 300 enterprises.

In terms of policy support, Shanxi focuses on key industrial chains, strengthens standard guidance, policy empowerment, platform support, brand exploration, and collaborative linkage, gives full play to its comparative advantages, vigorously innovates investment paths, and further improves investment results. In March this year, Shanxi issued the "2025 Action Plan to Accelerate the Construction of a New Highland for the Opening-up of Inland Areas", proposing 28 specific measures from six aspects including trade facilitation, foreign investment attraction, and platform construction. Among them, the "Thousands of Enterprises and Hundreds of Exhibitions" action plan continues to develop, with a total of 181 international exhibitions planned throughout the year, including 146 overseas exhibitions and 35 domestic exhibitions.

The exploration of institutional openness continues to make breakthroughs. At this year's National Two Sessions, the Shanxi delegation submitted recommendations from the entire delegation and called for support in Shanxi's application to build a free trade pilot zone. Previously, Shanxi has replicated and promoted 136 items of experience in free trade pilot zones, issued 16 rules that are in line with international high standards, and promoted the Taiyuan Wusu Comprehensive Free Trade Zone to deepen the reform of "separation of management and transportation".

In terms of regional cooperation, Shanxi actively integrates into national strategies, strengthens regional cooperation, deeply integrates into the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development strategy, strengthens in-depth exchanges and cooperation with the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the central and western regions and the provinces along the Yellow River, actively connects with the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and continuously expands development space. Through "going out" and "bringing in" again and again, we will strengthen exchanges and cooperation with these regions in industry, technology, talent and other aspects, give full play to our own comparative advantages, undertake industrial transfers, and promote industrial upgrading.

From the "inland hinterland" to the "open frontier", Shanxi is embracing the world with a more proactive attitude. Standing at a new starting point, Shanxi will continue to deepen the coordinated opening of industries, channels, and systems, accelerate the creation of a new highland for the opening up of inland areas, and let this ancient land glow with new vitality and vitality in the wave of globalization. (Ren Zhixia Guo Yaxing)