China’s Transportation System

China’s transportation system is rapidly expanding to support economic growth, meet projected global intermodal freight demands, and promote expansion into underdeveloped regions of the country. Given the current understanding of intermodal freight movement that was not available when the United States developed its port capacity, the purpose of this scan was to identify how China provides intermodal access to its new, greenfield maritime ports and the possible application of those methods in the United States. The scan also looked at the investment strategies adopted by Chinese officials to foster freight mobility and intermodal connectivity in support of their global competitiveness. The scan team represented a diverse set of interests and concerns for national and State decisionmaking. In addition to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) officials at the national and division levels, the team included representatives from the departments of transportation for California, Maine, and Pennsylvania; a representative of the I-95 Corridor Coalition; a representative of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO); a representative of the American Trucking Associations; and a university professor who also acted as the report writer. These scan members reflected different modal interests and expertise in intermodal freight transportation, trucking, transportation policy and planning, and transportation system operations. The scan team met with government officials at the national, provincial, and metropolitan levels; port authorities and terminal operators; U.S. shippers and retailers; logistics and warehousing companies; and research organizations. Although most of the team’s visits were to specific organizations, meetings were also held under the auspices of the local American Chambers of Commerce in Shanghai and Hong Kong that provided an opportunity to meet with representatives of many shipper, carrier, and trade organizations.