Kunming to become China's major cold chain hub

Kunming, Yunnan – Southwest China’s Kunming is planning to build itself into a major cold chain logistics hub serving China, South Asia and ASEAN countries over the next decade, according to local authorities.
 
Dubbed as China’s flower capital, the city has the largest flower trading market in the country. It will build on this with cold chain logistics in sectors including  fruit and vegetable, meat, seafood as well as pharmaceuticals.
 
The Kunming-ASEAN International Cold Chain Logistics Center started operation in 2009. When phase two came on stream in October 2018, it had 200kT refrigerated warehouse capacity.

The centre covers 400,000 m² the total project is designed for three phases. Investment in phases one and totaled CNY 1bn ($141m), according to local newspaper Kunming Daily. Phase three should be completed in 2020.
 
In addition, Kunming is building a Baoxiang Cold Chain Center at its airport. The CNY 2.5bn investment will deliver a 470,000 m² centre with 500kT of designed refrigerated warehouse capacity. There is also 80,000 m² global food trading centre.

The Baoxiang Center is currently in phase two out of three and will become one of Asia’s largest cold chain centres. When operational, it will generate CNY 50m annual sales.
 
Phase one of another project, Tengjun Cold Chain Storage Center, also broke ground earlier this year. This CNY 650m investment covers nearly 70,000 m2. It is scheduled to start operation in mid 2020.
 
The projects will develop new opportunities that will be delivered by the by China Belt and Road Initiative as well as the China–ASEAN Free Trade Area, said local authorities.