Continue to Connect with the World and the Times: Promoting Global Transportation Cooperation and Facilitating Global Connectivity

Li Xiaopeng extended a warm welcome to all distinguished guests attending the Global Sustainable Transport Forum (2024). He emphasized that transportation serves as the lifeblood of the economy and the bond of civilizations, making it a critical domain for global sustainable development. President Xi Jinping places great importance on the advancement of sustainable transport and global transport cooperation. In 2021, President Xi attended the opening ceremony of the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference and delivered a keynote address, where he proposed the “Five Commitments” to promote global transport cooperation. In 2022, President Xi sent a congratulatory letter to mark the establishment of the China International Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center, stressing that China stands ready to collaborate with all countries to fully leverage the platform of the center to advance global transport cooperation, contribute to the Global Development Initiative, implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and foster a community with a shared future for mankind. In 2023, President Xi sent a congratulatory message to the Global Sustainable Transport Forum, articulating China's firm position in advancing global transport cooperation, offering new opportunities to the world through its own development, and ensuring that the achievements of sustainable transport better serve the people of all nations. These initiatives have provided significant guidance for promoting global transport cooperation and fostering the development of global sustainable transport.

Li Xiaopeng further remarked that, over the past year, China's transport sector has been steadfastly pursuing the vision of “ensuring smooth mobility for people and goods” and has made continued strides toward high-quality development, pressing forward toward the goal of becoming a leading transportation power with notable progress in sustainable transport. We have focused on building “world-class infrastructure,” resulting in a more robust transport infrastructure network; striving for “world-class technology,” continuously enhancing innovation capabilities in the transport sector; pursuing “world-class management,” with ongoing improvements in transport governance; and providing “world-class services,” significantly strengthening the capacity for comprehensive transport services. While achieving our own development, we remain committed to “transport for the world,” continuously deepening openness and cooperation with countries worldwide to jointly promote sustainable transport development.

Li Xiaopeng emphasized that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has made strategic deployments to further comprehensively deepen reforms and advance Chinese-style modernization, which will also provide more new opportunities for China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries and achieve common development. In accordance with the deployments of the Plenary Session, China's transportation sector will strive to accelerate the construction of a powerful transportation nation, endeavor to be a pioneer in advancing Chinese-style modernization, continue to adhere to the principles of interacting with the world and keeping up with the times, promote global transportation cooperation, facilitate global connectivity, and play a positive role in ensuring the stability and smooth flow of the global logistics and supply chain as well as driving world economic development.

Li Xiaopeng proposed that efforts should be made to deepen connectivity and enhance the resilience of international logistics channels. We should promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, optimize the layout of the global logistics and supply chain, and explore management systems that are suitable for the development of modern logistics and supply chains. We must adhere to the people-centered approach and promote equitable and inclusive transportation development. We should accelerate efforts to address the transportation shortcomings in underdeveloped regions, continuously advance the integration of urban and rural transportation, and comprehensively improve transportation development levels and transportation service quality. We need to strengthen scientific and technological innovation to empower the upgrading of the transportation industry. We should enhance technological innovation in transportation infrastructure, equipment, organization, and other fields, promote the deep integration of big data, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies with the transportation industry, and jointly create an open, fair, impartial, and non-discriminatory international environment for scientific and technological development. We should advance green transformation and build a low-carbon and environmentally friendly transportation system. We should implement the concept of green development, promote resource intensification and recycling, strengthen the construction of green transportation infrastructure, promote low-carbon transportation means, and build a green and efficient transportation system.

It is understood that during the forum, activities such as the Ministerial Forum and thematic sessions will also be held, inviting all parties to share experiences in global transportation governance and exchange views on strengthening global transportation cooperation. A series of practical outcomes will be released, including the Vision for the Development of the Global Sustainable Transport Forum (Beijing Vision), the China Sustainable Transport Development Report (2023), and the Global Sustainable Transport Development Research Report. Additionally, multiple technical tour routes will be designed to comprehensively showcase China's innovative achievements in sustainable transportation development.

Source from: China Transportation News Network