By Tang Guhan
Cainiao, Alibaba's logistics arm, announced Wednesday it would build an international logistics hub in Hong Kong, aimed at providing support for those logistics services demanding a 72-hour-delivery.
Cainiao will join hands with China's leading state-run airlines, the China National Aviation Holding Company (CNAH) and the Chinese private express company, Yuan Tong Express, to build the hub in one of the world's busiest ports, the Hong Kong International Airport.
The aggregated investments in the project will amount to around HKD 12 billion. Covering an area of 380,000 square meters, it plans to build a multi-layered logistics center for global small and medium-sized enterprises.
"It is slated to be the world's leading digital logistics hub as it will deal with 10,000,000 international e-commerce parcels annually when it is finished in 2023," Cainiao said, "It will better accommodate the delivery needs for the New Retail Strategy."
Leveraged by the CNAH's operating experience in Hong Kong and its aerial resources, the move will create a win-win situation for both sides.
Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, noted recently that the company was planning to put 100 billion yuan worth of investments into logistics network building projects in the nation. The projects include a 24-hour delivery network within the country and a 72-hour delivery network globally.
Alibaba has announced it would build world-class logistics hubs in various cities around the globe, among which Hangzhou, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Moscow, and Liege were listed in the first batch.
