A framework agreement was signed on 18 January between the local governments of Chengdu and Leshan. Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, is landlocked while Leshan, a small tourist city in southwest Sichuan, lies on the Minjiang River, one of the major tributaries of the Yangtze and famous for being home to the world’s largest sleeping Buddha.
The two governments have agreed that Leshan port, 120km from downtown Chengdu, will become part of Chengdu Economic Zone and renamed as Chengdu port. The transport network in Leshan will also become part of this Greater Chengdu Area, with the development of Leshan port being a joint priority.
Until now, Leshan port has specialised in handling oversize cargo on the upper reaches of the Yangtze. The expansion project boasts a planned throughput capacity of 50m tons of general cargo and 300,000 teu of containers, together with a capacity to handle 10m tons of railway cargo. Vessels of 1,000dwt will be able to sail from Shanghai all year round and 3,000dwt vessels can reach Chengdu port directly on tide.