"Trains and cars that run on highways and roads, international flights that connect different countries, cargo ships that navigate through the waves, and digital e-commerce that are efficient and convenient have become the ways we engage in international trade in the new era."
"Modern airports and terminals, smooth roads, and economic, trade and industrial cooperation parks rising out of the ground that have sprung up spawn new economic corridors, unleash new growth drive, and become the trade and commerce avenues and courier stations of the new era."
On October 18th, President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and delivered a keynote speech titled "Building a World of Openness, Inclusiveness, Connectivity, and Shared Development." In his speech, he comprehensively summarized the achievements and experiences of the past decade in jointly building the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative, and announced eight actions that China will take to support the high-quality construction of it.
The ancient Silk Road has witnessed the prosperity of trade and cultural exchanges. Today, to joint construct the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative, we continues to strengthen cooperation in transportation infrastructure, meeting the expectations of countries and regions along the initiative for "road connectivity and industry flourishment". In the eight actions announced by President Xi Jinping that China will take to support high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, the first one is the construction of a three-dimensional connectivity network. Cadres and workers in the transportation industry have expressed their determination to carry forward the past achievements, strengthen connectivity in transportation infrastructure, and promote the Belt and Road Initiative to achieve higher quality and higher-level development.
Work harder to build an open and comprehensive transport system
President Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech that China will accelerate the high-quality development of China-Europe freight trains, participate in the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, host the China-Europe Freight Train International Cooperation Forum, and work with all parties to build a new Eurasian logistics channel supported by railway and highway transportation. China will actively promote the integrated development of "Silk Road Shipping" in ports, shipping and trade, and expedite the construction of new land- sea corridors as well as the development of the Air Silk Road.
President Xi Jinping's keynote speech was visionary, inspiring and rich in content, providing clear direction for the construction of a three-dimensional connectivity network for the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative. Lin Feiming, Secretary of the Leading Party Member Group and Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Transportation, said that they will accelerate the construction of major transportation infrastructure projects, collaborate with all parties to establish new logistics channels connecting Asia and Europe supported by direct railway and highway transportation, expedite the development of the land-sea corridor and the Air Silk Road, build world-class airports, ports, highways and hubs, and promote comprehensive connectivity in transportation. They will also actively promote the integrated development of port, shipping and trade under the Silk Road Maritime, continuously advance the development of China-Europe -(Asia) (CEA) freight trains, and expedite the construction of a modern comprehensive transportation network that supports high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.
According to Song Rentang, Secretary of the Leading Party Member Group and Director of the Hebei Provincial Department of Transportation, President Xi Jinping's clear proposal to construct a three-dimensional connectivity network for the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative has provided a clear direction and injected strong momentum for promoting international exchanges and cooperation in transportation. Hebei's transportation sector will focus on land-sea coordination and resource integration, consolidate the shipping routes from Huanghua Port, Qinhuangdao Port, and Tangshan Port to Japan and South Korea, as well as the routes from Tangshan Port to Vietnam and Thailand. They will also plan to expand ocean-going shipping lines to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and other regions. In addition, they will expand international air routes to East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe, and gradually build an air bridge connecting China with the world. They will vigorously develop ocean-rail transportation and international freight trains, achieve normalized, scheduled, and scaled operations, and strive to build an open and comprehensive transportation system.
Guangxi, with its unique geographical advantages along the coast, border, and rivers, is an important gateway for the organic connection of the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative. Currently, Guangxi is accelerating the construction of the new western land-sea corridor and the Pinglu Canal, making more effort to improve land connectivity network with the ASEAN, and it has witnessed a significant enhancement of the comprehensive strength of Beibu Gulf Port. Liu Ke, Secretary of the Leading Party Member Group and Director of the Department of Transportation of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, stated that they will take the spirit of President Xi Jinping's keynote speech as a guide, expedite the construction of the Pinglu Canal and turn the Beibu Gulf into an international port, create an international air logistics corridor for the ASEAN, and promote the establishment of a three-dimensional connectivity network for the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative.
Enhancing the physical and institutional connectivity in transportation sector
Over the past 10 years, Belt and Road cooperation has expanded from physical to institutional connectivity. President Xi Jinping has emphasized that we need to deepen international cooperation on the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative and embrace a new development of higher quality and in higher level in the joint construction of it.
Sun Yu, Secretary of the Leading Party Member Group and Director of the Department of Transportation of Heilongjiang Province, said that as an important way for China to open up to the north, Heilongjiang will focus on building a three-dimensional connectivity network for the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative and strengthen the "physical connectivity" of cross-border transportation infrastructure and the institutional connectivity. They will accelerate the construction of cross-border land routes such as the bridge from Mohe to Jalinda River and the one connects Dongning and Poltavka River. They will also strengthen the support for Heihe Highway Bridge and Tongjiang Railway Bridge, promote cooperation in inland river shipping and river-sea intermodal transportation between China and Russia, significantly enhance the capacity of Harbin International Aviation Hub to provide transportation support, promote facilitation of international road transport, and improve the open transportation network towards Northeast Asia and European countries such as Russia.
Feng Wanbin, secretary of the Leading Party Member Group and director of Liaoning Provincial Department of Transportation, said that Liaoning traffic will focus on building a three-dimensional connectivity network under the "Belt and Road" Initiative, accelerate the construction of a modern infrastructure system, improve the connectivity between the north and the south. They will also strengthen transportation cooperation in Liaoning Province, Jilin Province, Heilongjiang Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, optimize the Northeast Transportation Network, smooth the corridor of economic exchanges and cooperation between China, Mongolia and Russia. Moreover, they will accelerate the construction of port transportation system, build a large channel opening to both within and outside the country with Dalian Port, Yingkou Port, Jinzhou Port and other ports as the hubs, increase the number and density of international near-ocean routes to Southeast Asia and domestic trade routes along the southeast coast of China, endeavor to build world-class ports and promote the construction of sea-land corridors in the Northeast China.
In the past decade, Inner Mongolia has actively integrated into the construction of the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative through high-level connectivity in transportation. It has accounted for a total international road freight transportation volume of 283 million tons and cargo turnover of 10.17 billion ton-kilometers. According to the relevant officials from the Department of Transportation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, they will deeply implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping's keynote speech, take actions based on the region's strategic positioning and geographical advantages, and accelerate the construction of a modern comprehensive and three-dimensional transportation network that covers the east and the west, the south and the north, connecting eight provinces and Beijing, reaching the border and the sea, and integrating rural and urban areas. They will further enhance the functions of land corridors that connect Russia and Mongolia, facilitate connectivity with the Europe, reach the sea and the border, and create comprehensive hub ports and key specialized ports and accelerate the construction of well-connected international transportation corridors with full capacities.
Source from: China Transportation News Network