China Post builds air corridors for Belt and Road Initiative

Workers are boarding goods at the Xiaoshan Airport. Loading trucks will be taken to air freight heading to Novosibirsk. [Photo: CRI Online]

Friday has marked the first anniversary of the opening of the first direct Chinese air-postal route linking the eastern province of Zhejiang with Russia.

The logistics link - which is helping feed the growing e-commerce ties between China and Russia - is one of many connections which have been created among China and countries along the Belt and Road.

Hu Zhangsheng works in the business department of China Post's branch in Zhejiang Province.

He says that the new air freight route have given a boost to their ability to meet the needs of their customers trading with Russia.

"There are few domestic flights to Novosibirsk. Winter is often our peak season. We used to refuel to reduce the load. The airline is the most efficient way to extend our operating times in eastern or central Russia. It has given a boost to our transport capacity."

Wang Deben is the deputy director of the Zhejiang Postal Administration. He says the flight has accelerated the development of cross-border export businesses, and facilitated almost 300 million dollars in trade for Zhejiang.

"Next step is for international freight routes to be developed, marketed, and normalized. We are also supporting Shunfeng to launch routes from Hangzhou to the Americas."

The development of a growing number of air freight routes has helped to connect China with the world, and has fostered cross-border e-commerce businesses. At the same time, a growing volume of international commodities are coming into China by air.

Zhu Zhangyao is the general manager of China Post's Zhejiang branch.

"We will develop cross-border import business with Russia by making us of the freight space in the return trips. The high quality and low price of Russian agricultural and sideline products has been recognized by Chinese consumers. So the potential for growth in the business is huge. The air route will help to promote the strategy for optimizing imports and exports"

China Post is working with countries taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative to develop the express delivery network. The State Post Bureau of China recently launched its "Air Express Hub" project, which will see the construction of the Asia's first major air freight hub.