Deep in the Tianshan Mountains of China's far west, workers recently marked a milestone: the completion of all eight vertical shafts of the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel – the world's longest expressway tunnel. Once operational, it will slash travel time between Urumqi and Korla by more than half, saving logistics firms an estimated 70 million yuan ($9.7 million) each year.

Beyond the concrete and steel lies a broader ambition: China is accelerating efforts to build a unified national market in a bid to promote efficient allocation of resources, safeguard fair competition, and attract global resources and investors.

Physical and soft connectivity

Under the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), China has made infrastructure a national priority. High-speed railways, expressways, seaports and 5G networks now reach even the country's most remote regions, connecting them to major economic centers. By the end of 2024, China's railway network spanned over 150,000 kilometers, expressways totaled 180,000 kilometers, and more than 3.6 million 5G base stations were operational.

For example, in Hefei, solar panels can now reach German ports in just 27 days via a sea-rail intermodal route – 12 days faster than traditional shipping. Along the southeastern coast, 5G upgrades in places like Zhangzhou now extend coverage 50 km offshore, enabling digital transformation of the fishing industry.

Connectivity is not limited to physical infrastructure. Regulatory and administrative reforms are advancing to unify market rules and simplify operations across provincial borders. One-stop digital portals, unified e-procurement platforms, and remote service centers have made cross-regional business and citizen services more convenient.

In Jiangxi, a cybersecurity firm successfully secured contracts in other provinces thanks to a unified electronic procurement platform. In the Yangtze River Delta, cross-provincial business registration and social services are now a standard practice. A nationwide mechanism for interconnecting data exchanges is also steadily taking shape, laying the groundwork for a unified digital market.

Fueling the dual circulation strategy

From the lychee orchards of Guangdong to the highlands of Xizang, and from the power bases of Gansu to the megacities of eastern China, the vision of a unified national market is becoming a powerful engine for China's dual circulation strategy, which takes the domestic market as the mainstay while allowing domestic and international markets to reinforce each other.

In the southern city of Gaozhou, freshly harvested lychees now travel across provinces with ease, thanks to improved logistics. Major infrastructure projects like the South-to-North Water Diversion and West-to-East Power Transmission are reshaping the geographic flow of resources like water and electricity, supporting more balanced development.

These internal linkages are also opening new doors abroad. In Zhengzhou, China-Europe freight trains now carry an expanding mix of goods from agricultural produce to electric vehicles and to Central Asia and beyond.

Further south, the Pinglu Canal in Guangxi, China's first large-scale river-sea corridor, is under construction. Once completed, 5,000-tonne ships will be able to travel from inland ports directly to international waters, boosting trade with Southeast Asia.

As China prepares for its 15th Five-Year Plan, further integration is expected. Key priorities include unifying standards and regulations, expanding national data and logistics networks, and enabling smoother flows of capital, technology and talent.