Gansu province will step up its role as a key corridor linking China with Central Asia, Europe and beyond as it deepens integration into the Belt and Road Initiative and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, Governor Ren Zhenhe said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a briefing on Gansu's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), Ren said the inland province will leverage its geographic position to build a more connected, multidirectional opening-up framework, improving links across land and sea routes.

In the first quarter of 2026, Gansu's economic performance showed strong momentum, with GDP growing 5.9 percent, ranking fourth nationwide and extending a run of above-national-average growth to 17 consecutive quarters, Ren said, adding that it marked a strong start to the 15th Five-Year Plan.

Vice-Governor Wang Bing said the province will use the BRI as a key driver to transform itself from an inland region into a gateway connecting domestic and international markets.

BRI countries accounted for more than 70 percent of Gansu's total trade in the first quarter, according to Lanzhou Customs.

The expansion builds on gains made during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), when foreign trade accelerated and the number of trading firms rose from 618 to 1,055. More than 100 locally produced goods, including flowers, peppers and grapes, entered overseas markets, customs data showed.

Total imports and exports reached a record 70 billion yuan ($10.2 billion) in 2025, up 16.2 percent year-on-year, with export growth ranking first nationwide.

"The province's continued opening-up has provided strong policy support and a solid foundation for our development," said Yang Qianbin, general manager of Gansu International Logistics Group. "We saw rapid growth in 2025, with import and export volume rising by 112 percent and international freight train operations increasing by 28.6 percent."

Gansu has expanded its rail links to 22 countries and 46 cities across Central Asia and Europe, strengthening its role in cross-border logistics.

At the same time, customs reforms have cut costs and improved efficiency. Lanzhou Customs said its "port plus destination" joint supervision model for imported copper concentrate has reduced clearance times by more than 90 percent and lowered logistics costs by more than 100 million yuan.

"Efficient customs services and increasingly well-connected logistics corridors have enabled our raw materials and products to move smoothly across global markets, significantly reducing costs and enhancing our competitiveness," said Wang Shuguang, chairman of Gansu Hailiang New Energy Materials Co.

"The success of our Lanzhou base has also given us the confidence to expand into markets such as Indonesia, Morocco and the United States," he added.

The company has grown into one of the world's largest single-site producers of lithium battery copper foil, with annual capacity reaching 90,000 metric tons and revenue exceeding 5 billion yuan in 2025.

Looking ahead, Wang outlined four priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan period: stronger international corridors, more capable opening-up platforms, more dynamic trade and deeper people-to-people exchanges.

He said Gansu will further strengthen international transport corridors, expand China-Europe freight train services and develop Lanzhou into a major logistics hub, while boosting exports of higher value-added products such as wind power equipment, photovoltaic products and new energy vehicles.