The Chengdu-Chongqing Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Cross-border Trade Center. [Photo/WeChat account of Liangjiang New Area]

The launch ceremony of the Chengdu-Chongqing Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Cross-border Trade Center was held at the Lianglu Guoyuan Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone in Liangjiang New Area on Aug 18.

The event was attended by leaders from the governments of Chongqing, Liangjiang New Area, and Chongqing's Dianjiang, Dazu, Qianjiang, and Jiangbei districts, as well as senior officials from the Consulate General of Myanmar in Chongqing, Consulate General of Australia in Chengdu, and Consulate General of the Philippines in Chongqing.

Representatives from enterprises involved in the cross-border trade industrial chain, including commodity production, warehousing logistics, e-commerce platforms, payment settlement, and financial services, were also present.

The center is equipped with three areas for office work, administrative services, and business support, and is designed to attract high-quality enterprises in the cross-border trade industrial chain, such as those involved in traditional trade, cross-border e-commerce, digital services, and financial services.

It will provide internationalized, digitized, and integrated cross-border trade services, continuously optimize business models, explore characteristic products from Chongqing and Sichuan, and establish a regular exhibition area for Chongqing exports in the Chengdu-Chongqing region to help strengthen the city's exports.

Within three years, the center aims to attract 100 enterprises in the cross-border trade industrial chain, aggregate more than 50 billion yuan ($6.95 billion) in imports and exports, establish the first digital foreign trade service platform in western China, cultivate 1,500 qualified cross-border trade talents, and drive 15 local production and foreign trade enterprises to create independently branded products for export.

A signing ceremony was also held for participating companies during the event. "We have our own companies, operation centers, and cargo distribution centers in Chengdu and Chongqing. Some of our imports are completed through the entire RCEP regional organization. We hope to take advantage of the center to optimize the trade and fund chains of the entire Chengdu-Chongqing region to bring real benefits to Chengdu and Chongqing enterprises," said the representative of Sichuan Luhai New Channel Co.