A smart freight port on the Chinese side of the Puzhai-Tan Thanh dedicated freight corridor between China and Vietnam is set to begin operations on Friday, marking a significant shift toward fully autonomous cross-border logistics.

Construction of the project in Pingxiang, Guangxi, started in September 2023. The port recently completed full-process testing and core technology validation for customs clearance using unmanned container trucks.

The facility will be China's first integrated border clearance platform that uses autonomous container trucks and an artificial intelligence (AI) system to manage dispatch and operations.

The AI system coordinates supervision, logistics, and services, enabling a highly automated clearance process and setting a new benchmark for cross-border trade facilitation. The customs declaration efficiency is expected to increase by about 70%, allowing round-the-clock operations.

As the country's first border clearance platform designed to operate with autonomous container trucks, the port has achieved several technical breakthroughs. The driverless fleet is equipped with laser radar and AI vision systems, and operates on a dedicated 5G network combined with BeiDou satellite positioning, enabling centimeter-level navigation accuracy and millisecond response times. The trucks can independently complete the full cross-border transport process.

This undated photo shows a smart freight port on the Chinese side of the Puzhai-Tan Thanh dedicated freight corridor between China and Vietnam. The port is set to begin operations on Dec. 19, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

With AI-powered computing models optimizing resource allocation, the autonomous fleet can operate 24 hours a day. Daily clearance capacity along the dedicated freight corridor is expected to reach about 2,880 truck trips. More than 200 cross-border tests have been completed, and the Chinese section has already achieved fully autonomous clearance at all hours, overcoming traditional time and capacity constraints at ports.

Developed through overall planning and phased construction that integrates existing infrastructure with new technologies, the project has established benchmarks in technical standards, coordination mechanisms, and application scenarios, contributing new momentum to China–ASEAN economic and trade cooperation.

As the country's first border clearance platform designed to operate with autonomous container trucks, the port has achieved several technical breakthroughs. The driverless fleet is equipped with laser radar and AI vision systems, and operates on a dedicated 5G network combined with BeiDou satellite positioning, enabling centimeter-level navigation accuracy and millisecond response times. The trucks can independently complete the full cross-border transport process.

This undated photo shows a smart freight port on the Chinese side of the Puzhai-Tan Thanh dedicated freight corridor between China and Vietnam. The port is set to begin operations on Dec. 19, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

With AI-powered computing models optimizing resource allocation, the autonomous fleet can operate 24 hours a day. Daily clearance capacity along the dedicated freight corridor is expected to reach about 2,880 truck trips. More than 200 cross-border tests have been completed, and the Chinese section has already achieved fully autonomous clearance at all hours, overcoming traditional time and capacity constraints at ports.

Developed through overall planning and phased construction that integrates existing infrastructure with new technologies, the project has established benchmarks in technical standards, coordination mechanisms, and application scenarios, contributing new momentum to China–ASEAN economic and trade cooperation.