Opening-up is a distinctive hallmark of Chinese modernization.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has provided a series of important discourses on steadfastly advancing high-standard opening-up, considering both domestic and international contexts, offering crucial guidance and practical pathways for the work.

In his 2024 inspection tour of the province, he urged Anhui to establish itself as an important hub of sci-tech innovation, a center for emerging industries, a new frontier for reform and opening-up, and a comprehensive green transformation zone for economic and social development. He called for it to make further achievements in deepening its integration into the new pattern of development, promoting high-quality development, and building a beautiful Anhui in all respects, so as to write an Anhui chapter of Chinese modernization.

In response, Anhui is continuously seeking to innovate its path, enrich its platforms and enhance its capabilities for opening-up, so as to break new ground for China's high-standard opening-up through links running eastward and westward across land and over sea.

It is promoting the construction of major channels and platforms and streamlining customs clearance to create key nodes for domestic and international dual circulation.

The province is fully leveraging the logistical geographical advantage of having the Yangtze River flow through its heart, accelerating the construction of a modern circulation system. Enhancing the supporting role of cross-regional linkage, it is promoting better connectivity between domestic and international markets.

Anhui is promoting the coordinated layout of cross-regional transportation, with integrated cross-mode connections. It aims to construct a multi-level, wide-coverage three-dimensional "water-land-air" logistics system.

Its waterway freight volume has ranked first in the nation for many consecutive years. Its high-speed rail mileage exceeds 2,900 kilometers, with its operational mileage the longest in the Yangtze River Delta region and ranking among the top nationwide. There are 31 stable international passenger and cargo airline routes.

It is also fully integrated into the construction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt's multimodal transport system, implementing measures such as mutual recognition of customs clearance and inspection in the Yangtze River Delta, achieving "linked unloading between Shanghai and Anhui ports", which is regarded as one port that saves one to two days in customs clearance.

The China (Anhui) Pilot Free Trade Zone has introduced 259 institutional innovation achievements, with 56 being the first in the nation and 15 replicated and promoted nationwide. The international influence of events such as the World Manufacturing Convention and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Local Governments and Friendship Cities Cooperation (Huangshan) Forum continues to expand.

Anhui is also accelerating the cultivation of new drivers for foreign trade to improve quality and efficiency. The province is promoting the integration of industry and trade, and has achieved record highs in foreign trade by exploring new markets and new business models. During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, the province's trade in goods increased by an average of 13.2 percent annually, 6.1 percentage points higher than the national average.

The province is fully committed to creating auto and electronic information industries separately with exports of 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion), sectors of low carbon and equipment manufacturing separately with exports of 50 billion yuan, and several others of 10 billion yuan. Its combined export value of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products ranks sixth nationwide, with automotive exports maintaining the top position. Chery Group has been the top exporter of Chinese-brand passenger cars for 23 consecutive years.

Each year, the Anhui government organizes about 5,000 enterprises to participate in domestic and international exhibitions. The province engages in economic and trade exchanges with over 230 countries and regions. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, trade with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations grew by an average of 17.9 percent annually, making ASEAN Anhui's largest trading partner. With regard to imports, the province imports consumer goods, technology, equipment and energy resources from over 160 countries and regions. Anhui is advancing the construction of platforms such as the national comprehensive pilot for deepening service trade innovation and development, and the national digital service export base.

In 2025, the total import and export volume of the province's service trade was 60.28 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22.3 percent, a growth rate that ranked third nationwide. The province's cross-border e-commerce transaction volume has grown by more than 30 percent annually in recent years, becoming a new engine for foreign trade development.

The province is also expanding space for two-way investment cooperation and deeply engaging in the global division of labor and cooperation.

Anhui adheres to open cooperation and mutual benefit, and it is increasing its efforts to attract and stabilize foreign investment, promoting the overseas expansion of advantageous industries, and significantly enhancing its global resource allocation capabilities.

Anhui implements the pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list management system for foreign investment, and it has eliminated all restrictions on foreign investment access to the manufacturing sector. It has established partnerships with 60 international organizations and leading foreign enterprises. Anhui's market, innovation, rule of law, and government services environments all ranked among the top three nationwide in 2025. The actual use of foreign investment in Anhui grew by 49.3 percent during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with the 2025 growth rate ranking first nationwide.

The local government is guiding the reasonable and orderly cross-border layout of the province's industry and supply chains, and is improving the province's overseas service system, establishing overseas business service outlets in five continents and 33 countries and regions, hosting a series of industry chain matchmaking and overseas special promotion events, and accelerating the construction of overseas economic and trade cooperation parks. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Anhui's outbound investment grew by 16.3 percent annually, doubling in total volume.

The province is actively participating in high-quality Belt and Road Initiative construction and continuously seeking to expand the space for win-win development.

In deepening connectivity with Belt and Road Initiative countries, the province adheres to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, enhancing the quality and efficiency of trade and investment cooperation. Anhui's import and export volume with economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 550.33 billion yuan in 2025, growing by 18 percent, accounting for 54.3 percent of the province's total import and export volume.

Anhui is strengthening its connection with the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, with Hefei approved as a national China-Europe Railway Express assembly center. Over 5,600 China-Europe trains have been launched from Anhui in total, reaching 20 countries and 179 international station cities directly, allowing more "made-in-Anhui" products to go global.

Anhui is fully aligned with the high standards and trade and economic rules of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), releasing 27 international standards for proton, superconducting, and nuclear energy applications.

Anhui's number of international sister cities has increased to 102 in number. The province is strengthening cooperation in improving the people's livelihoods, implementing a batch of "small and beautiful" projects.

Over the past decade, Anhui has organized 13 batches of medical personnel to provide medical aid in South Sudan and Anhui University of Chinese Medicine has established a TCM center and an acupuncture and massage training base in Germany.

The 15th Five-Year Plan period is a critical time for Anhui's development. We will steadfastly advance high-standard opening-up, continuously enhance the province's open economy and inject strong momentum into writing the Anhui chapter of Chinese modernization.

The author is secretary of CPC Anhui provincial committee and director of Anhui Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee, and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress.

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