Culture of opening-up travels inland

China's inland regions are simplifying customs clearance procedures and introducing preferential policies in their ongoing bid to open up to the international market.

Chongqing, for example, the only municipality in inland China, has established an innovative customs system in bonded ports to encourage more free trade.

"In bonded zones, we've taken the O2O model, linking online and offline shopping. Customers can find what they want in physical stores and make the deal online. It costs only postal taxes, about 10 percent of the original price on average," said Tang Lin, an NPC deputy and president of the Chongqing Free Trade Port Administrative Corp.