Construction and Innovative Development of China’s National Logistics Hubs

Since the implementation of reform and opening-up in the 1980s, China has made significant progress in the development of its logistics infrastructure. The logistics infrastructure network has largely taken shape and the conditions of logistics facilities have been continuously improved. However, as China’s economy transitions from a phase of rapid growth to one of high-quality development, shortcomings in logistics infrastructure construction have become increasingly apparent. As the core infrastructure within the logistics system, logistics hubs face issues such as suboptimal spatial distribution, limited organizational capacity, and weak synergies. Therefore, there is an urgent need for China to undertake comprehensive planning and construction of logistics hubs at the national level. In 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Transport jointly issued the “National Logistics Hub Layout and Construction Plan”. This major initiative implements the central government’s directives to strengthen logistics infrastructure networks, and aims to optimize the allocation of logistics resources and systematically organize logistics activities in China. It also marks the first time that a dedicated national-level plan for logistics hubs has been issued. Since its release, the construction and innovative development of China’s national logistics hubs have achieved remarkable results, playing a significant and far-reaching role in building a “corridor + hub + network” logistics system, advancing the high-quality development of China’s logistics industry, and contributing to the establishment of a modernized economic system.