On September 21, the State Council approved new pilot free trade zones in Beijing and in the provinces of Hunan, Anhui, and Zhejiang. In the overall development plan for Beijing, a national CCER trading center will be established. The Beijing Equity Exchange is likely to lead the process. Setting up new free trade zones is an important strategic decision of the central government and the State Council to promote reform and opening-up.
Ministry of Transport releases action plan to strengthen multimodal freight transport
On 29 September 2026, the Ministry of Transport, together with 11 other government departments and the China State Railway Group, issued the “Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of Multimodal Transport and Optimizing the Transport Structure” (2026–2030). By 2030, the plan aims to improve links between railways, ports, inland terminals, logistics parks and industrial zones, strengthening multimodal freight services. Targets include an 80% railway connection rate in multimodal transport areas at coastal ports and more than 90% of freight transfers at key hubs completed within one hour. It also promotes shifts of suitable bulk freight from road to rail and water. For key industries, the plan targets an 85% share of clean transport.