Henan Zhongyuan Aquatic Products Logistics Port: Supporting Connectivity Along the Belt and Road Initiative

　　According to reports, the Henan Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port offers a comprehensive range of services, including aquatic products, livestock and poultry products, warehousing, fresh-keeping solutions, processing and trading, logistics, product quality testing, information platform services, and settlement solutions. It has established itself as a major, highly active aquatic product market, as well as a leading wholesale logistics hub for livestock and poultry product processing and trade—and a specialized wholesale market for frozen seafood—serving China's central and western regions. The port’s product transactions span across more than ten provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, including Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Chongqing. Currently, the Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port is actively developing an innovative cold-chain logistics supply chain and a full-process信息化 (information-based) platform. By pioneering new models for cold-chain logistics and continuously enhancing cold-chain technology and digitalization capabilities, the port aims to elevate the cold-chain sector toward greater sophistication and premium quality.

　　"The Belt and Road" Boosts the Logistics Industry

　　"Running" Enters Spring

　　Since the beginning of the new century, the logistics industry has become a topic almost invariably featured in the government work reports each year—starting with the 2002 mention of "gradually promoting logistics," moving to "logistics booming" in 2008, then to "improving the logistics distribution network" and "reducing enterprise logistics costs" in 2016, and finally to the 2017 emphasis on "lowering institutional transaction costs for businesses, as well as reducing energy and logistics expenses, through deepening reforms and refining policies." This progression clearly reflects the continuous growth and expansion of the logistics sector in China. Moreover, the signals sent out by the 2017 government work report suggest that the logistics industry now stands at the threshold of even greater opportunities, signaling that the sector is poised to "dash" into a vibrant new era of prosperity.

　　Meanwhile, the Government Work Report, when outlining the "Key Tasks for 2017," emphasized the need to "steadily advance the Belt and Road Initiative. We will uphold the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, accelerate the development of land-based economic corridors and maritime cooperation hubs, and establish robust customs clearance cooperation mechanisms along the Belt and Road routes. Furthermore, we will deepen international capacity cooperation, helping Chinese equipment, technology, standards, and services go global while fostering mutually beneficial partnerships. Finally, we will strengthen exchanges and collaboration in areas such as education, culture, and tourism."

　　Advancing the Belt and Road Initiative requires robust transportation connectivity as both the foundation and the key priority. On February 10, senior Chinese leaders, presiding over a meeting to promote the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasized the need to vigorously advance infrastructure connectivity and ensure coordinated progress in building major, critical projects. At the end of 2016, during a meeting of the Leading Group for Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, relevant authorities underscored that transportation serves as the cornerstone and backbone of the initiative—acting as both a priority area and a strategic breakthrough point. They stressed the importance of accurately defining transportation’s role within the broader framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, fully capitalizing on this golden opportunity for transportation development, and leveraging the momentum of international capacity cooperation to continuously enhance connectivity as well as socio-economic growth and development levels.

　　In the process of participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, Henan Province has defined its strategic positioning as building itself into a vital integrated transportation hub and a key trade, logistics, and commerce center for the Belt and Road, a strategic platform for regional collaboration along the New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor, and a premier inland gateway for opening up to the outside world. In its 2017 Government Work Report, Henan emphasized leveraging transportation hubs like Zhengzhou as pivotal nodes to enhance their functional capabilities, using logistics to drive industrial growth and attracting industries to cluster around these hubs. The province is also focused on fostering high-speed rail, aviation-related, and port-based industries. Additionally, Henan is making significant strides in developing a robust hub economy by prioritizing five major sectors: modern logistics, modern finance, information services, cultural tourism, and health & elderly care—and actively promoting the integrated development of the cold-chain logistics industry.

　　As the Belt and Road Initiative continues to deepen, Zhengzhou is seizing the strategic opportunities presented by the initiative and China’s inland opening-up policy. By leveraging its strengths as a key railway, highway, and aviation hub, the city is transforming itself into a pivotal inland gateway for global trade, positioning itself as a major domestic and international logistics center—and a vital node along the Silk Road Economic Belt. In 2016, the Zhengzhou-Europe freight train service, which connects Central Asia and Europe via land routes, once again broke records, operating an impressive schedule of three round-trip services each week—one outbound and two inbound. Meanwhile, Zhengzhou’s aviation hub has consistently benefited from favorable government policies, steadily unlocking its full logistical potential. With Zhengzhou firmly establishing itself as a leading international logistics hub, this development is undoubtedly creating fresh opportunities for the rapid growth of Henan’s Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Products Logistics Port.

　　Deeply cultivating cold-chain logistics benefits the public and people's livelihoods.

　　As China’s urbanization accelerates, the demand for frozen foods and cold-chain logistics is growing rapidly. Frozen foods have become an indispensable part of daily diets for urban consumers across the country. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in the first three quarters of 2016, the nationwide frozen and refrigerated food industry achieved main business revenues of 1.9 trillion yuan, representing a 6.9% increase compared to the same period last year. A well-developed cold-chain logistics system ensures the safe transportation of these products, making it a critical component of the frozen food industry. Meanwhile, this burgeoning, promising sector is eagerly calling for the robust growth of cold-chain logistics infrastructure.

　　The construction of the Henan Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port is truly timely. Funded by Henan Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port Co., Ltd., the port was designated as a key provincial and municipal project under the "Vegetable Basket" initiative in 2012 and 2013. Spanning a total area of 412 acres, the logistics port boasts a total investment of 1.8 billion RMB and a combined building area of 288,000 square meters. Phase I of the project includes a 180,000-ton cold storage facility, a 6,000-square-meter trading hall, and a 36,000-square-meter processing workshop. Additionally, it features 13,000 square meters of supporting infrastructure, such as cold-chain logistics facilities and an information service center. The port currently hosts over 1,000 merchants and generates an annual commodity turnover exceeding 40 billion RMB.

　　According to reports, Henan Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port offers a comprehensive range of services, including aquatic products, livestock and poultry products, warehousing, fresh-keeping, processing and trading, logistics, product quality testing, information platform services, and settlement solutions. It has established itself as a major, highly active aquatic product market, as well as a leading wholesale logistics hub for livestock and poultry product processing and trade, and a specialized wholesale market for frozen seafood in China's central and western regions. The port’s product transactions extend across more than ten provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, including Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Chongqing. Currently, the Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port is actively developing an innovative cold-chain logistics supply chain and a full-process信息化 (information-based) platform. By pioneering new models for cold-chain logistics and continuously enhancing cold-chain technology and digitalization capabilities, the port aims to drive the cold-chain sector toward higher levels of sophistication and premium quality.

　　Qiu Xinhang, Chairman of Henan Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port, believes that the rapid growth of both businesses and industries is largely attributable to the country’s overarching policies and initiatives. "In the past, it took us at least two months to transport food by ship from Europe to Chinese ports. But now, by taking the Zhengzhou-Europe Railway Express, it only takes 17 days—from Zhengzhou to Hamburg, Germany. The Belt and Road Initiative has brought us incredible speed and convenience! This time-saving advantage—saving two-thirds of the original journey—is truly our business’s greatest asset," Qiu Xinhang said.

　　“The Belt and Road Initiative” has brought not only increased incomes and more job opportunities but also a higher quality of life to people in China and the countries along its routes. Indeed, what ordinary citizens truly need are tangible benefits—real, measurable “sense of gain” that they can see and feel every day. “Our mission is to ensure that people have access to fresh, affordable, and conveniently delivered food,” said Qiu Xinhang. “The Belt and Road Initiative isn’t just benefiting our own people—it’s also guiding the entire Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road—including dozens of nations and billions of people—toward a sustainable path of shared prosperity. And that’s precisely the goal we at Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port are striving for.”

　　Building exemplary and landmark projects

　　The layout holds immense strategic significance for the Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port. Over the past two years, the port has established a comprehensive development strategy that enables it to both attract external investments and expand globally. By extending its reach to China’s major import and export ports, the logistics hub has adopted a nationwide approach—building from individual points into interconnected networks. On land, the port’s transportation network stretches westward from Lianyungang, passing through key cities such as Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Xi'an, Lanzhou, and Urumqi, seamlessly aligning with the ancient Silk Road on land. Meanwhile, at sea, the logistics port has set up strategic locations in Beihai and Qinzhou, Guangxi, effectively relaunching operations from these historic gateways of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

　　In Qiu Xinhang’s vision, as the Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port continues to grow and strengthen, Zhengzhou—a city once known as China’s national railway hub—will soon earn a new distinction: becoming China’s major frozen-food and cold-chain logistics hub. Qiu Xinhang revealed that this year, the Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port will partner with COSCO Group to seamlessly integrate sea freight, port operations, and rail transportation, creating a truly unified logistics system spanning maritime, road, and rail networks. He remarked proudly that the Belt and Road Initiative has provided an unprecedentedly expansive platform for the Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port in Henan, enabling a virtuous cycle of industrial development. This, in turn, will drive the collective growth of related sectors, boost income levels across regions along the Belt and Road, and ultimately position the port as a key player capable of fulfilling this monumental historical mission.

　　Currently, the Belt and Road Initiative has entered a fast-track phase. Amidst these promising opportunities, becoming a model and landmark project along the Belt and Road has become the central focus of in-depth exploration for the Central Plains Four Seasons Aquatic Logistics Port. Earlier this year, Henan Central Plains Four Seasons Aquatic Logistics Port Co., Ltd. and the Belt and Road Cultural Communication & Economic Development Research Group established a strategic partnership, forming a dedicated task force focused on the Belt and Road Initiative and Henan’s aquatic logistics hub. This team is tasked with conducting research, field visits, drafting, and reviewing comprehensive project reports, ultimately producing insightful research findings. Notably, the "Henan Central Plains Aquatic Logistics Port" has been designated as a key project and officially included in the task force’s dynamic database of Belt and Road initiatives.

　　Xu Yunfeng, a senior researcher at the Institute for China's Economic Reform and Development at Renmin University of China, noted that the open, inclusive, and sustainable development philosophy of the Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port aligns perfectly with the Silk Road spirit promoted by the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the initiative’s five core development principles: innovation, coordination, green growth, openness, and shared prosperity. The Belt and Road is a path of openness, collaboration, and mutual benefit, and the Zhongyuan Four Seasons Aquatic Product Logistics Port has set a replicable and scalable model for fostering the clustering, upgrading, and sustained growth of logistics industries. As a key project under the Belt and Road Cultural Exchange and Economic Development Research Group, the "Henan Zhongyuan Aquatic Product Logistics Port" project holds significant practical importance in helping Henan achieve its goal of becoming a vital logistics hub connecting domestic and international markets while radiating across eastern, central, and western regions—and will undoubtedly make a unique contribution to the broader Belt and Road Initiative.