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Speakers:

Xu Chengguang, vice minister of transport

An Lusheng, vice administrator of the National Railway Administration of China

Dong Zhiyi, vice administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China

Dai Yingjun, deputy director general of the State Post Bureau of China

Chairperson:

Xing Huina, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

June 10, 2022

Xing Huina:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. This is the seventh press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we have invited Xu Chengguang, vice minister of transport; An Lusheng, vice administrator of the National Railway Administration of China; Dong Zhiyi, vice administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China; and Dai Yingjun, deputy director general of the State Post Bureau of China to brief you on the progress in accelerating the building of China's strength in transportation in the new era, and to take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Xu for his introduction.

Xu Chengguang:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. First, I would like to thank all friends from the media for your long-term interest in and support for China's transportation sector. I am very glad to meet with you here along with Mr. An Lusheng, Mr. Dong Zhiyi and Mr. Dai Yingjun, to brief you on the progress made in China's transportation sector. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the work on transportation, and issued important instructions on several occasions. In particular, the report of the 19th CPC National Congress proposed building China's strength in transportation, which lays out methods for developing transportation in the new era. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have successively issued the Outline on Building China's Strength in Transportation and Outline of the National Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation Network Planning, creating a strategic blueprint and a bright vision for the medium- and long-term development of China's transportation industry. In October last year, President Xi Jinping pointed out in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference that generation after generation of Chinese people have worked in the spirit of opening roads through mountains and building bridges over rivers, turning China into a country with vast transportation infrastructure. Today, we are redoubling our efforts to build a country with great strength in transportation. Transportation has become a frontier in China's modernization drive. The important instructions of the general secretary fully affirmed the achievements of China's transportation sector, pointed out the new goal of building China's strength in transportation, and created a new historical mission for the transportation sector. 

Looking back over the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's transportation industry has made historic achievements and seen historic transformations. We have accomplished many things that we were previously unable to accomplish, and have completed a host of major projects that were on the agenda but we had been unable to complete. We have achieved a historic leap from a country with a vast transportation infrastructure to building a country with great transportation strength, which has effectively fulfilled the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Over the past decade, China's comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network has taken shape, which has effectively promoted the connection of domestic and international transportation channels. We have built the world's largest high-speed railway network, expressway network, and world-class port clusters. We have opened air and sea routes that reach all parts of the world. China's high-speed rail, roads, bridges, ports and express delivery have become calling cards for the country. A large-scale and smooth integrated transportation network has supported the operation of our country, the world's second largest economy and the largest trader in goods. Transportation has shortened distances and saved time. It has accelerated the flow of goods and people, profoundly transformed the faces of urban and rural areas, and effectively boosted integrated rural-urban development. It not only effectively guarantees smooth domestic and international circulation, but also makes important contributions to the development of the world economy.

Over the past decade, our comprehensive transportation service capacity has been greatly improved, and people have a greater sense of fulfillment. The country has seen its key transportation indicators — including passenger and freight volume of railway, road, waterway and civil aviation, cargo throughput of ports and business volume of postal and express services — rank top in the world for many years. China has become one of the world's busiest countries in terms of transportation. In 2021, ports reported an average of over 69,000 ship entries and exits, airports saw some 26,800 take-offs and landings, and nearly 300 million parcels were handled on a daily basis. In the peak traveling season, passenger trains made more than 10,000 trips and expressways saw more than 60 million trips made by vehicles on average per day in 2021. The easier movement of people and smooth flow of goods have been achieved. Transportation has become one of the sectors to which people have the strongest sense of fulfillment. Well-developed transportation networks have contributed to China's increasing vibrancy.

Over the past decade, the fundamental, leading and strategic role of transportation has been given full play, strongly underpinning the implementation of national strategies. We have worked to ensure that all villages, townships and towns with the right conditions are accessible by paved roads and bus services, and delivered on our solemn commitment that no place will be left behind on the road to prosperity due to transportation issues. Transportation has effectively served the critical poverty eradication battle and the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Yangtze River Delta and other regions have been connected into the transportation network, which has promoted continuous improvements to coordinated regional development. Fixed-asset investment in transportation has been kept at a high level. Last year, it hit a record high of 3.6 trillion yuan, which played an important role in stabilizing the economy and ensuring stabilities on six key fronts (employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment, and expectations) and security in six key areas (job security, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food, and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary level governments). We've served to connect China with the world and keep the country in tune with the times. We have been vigorously promoting transportation connectivity, and better serving the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. During the pandemic, while ensuring coordinated epidemic containment efforts, we have gone all out to ensure the smooth flow of logistics. The China-Europe Railway Express and ocean-going cargo vessels have been running day and night to maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains, showcasing China's sense of responsibility in the global community.

As we embark on a new journey, we will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, continue to seize the day and forge ahead in building China's strength in transportation at a faster pace, and strive to be a pioneer in China's modernization drive.

That's all for my introduction. Now, I would like to invite Mr. An, Mr. Dong and Mr. Dai to brief you on the railways, civil aviation and postal services.

An Lusheng:

Good morning, friends from the media. I would like to add some words on the railway industry. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the railway industry has upheld Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide and fully implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, making historic achievements.

The railway network has improved substantially in scale and quality over the past decade. Investment in railway fixed assets exceeded 7 trillion yuan, contributing to a mileage increase of 52,000 kilometers. China had 150,000 kilometers of railways in operation by the end of 2021, including 40,000 kilometers of high-speed railways. Railways have covered 81% of Chinese counties, and high-speed railways have covered 93% of cities with a population of 500,000 or more. A well-organized, extensive, multi-level, safe, and efficient railway network has basically taken shape.

Transportation services have also been comprehensively improved. China ranks first in the world in passenger turnover, cargo shipment, freight turnover, and transportation density by rail. Its railways have remained safe, and the green and low-carbon advantages have been given full play. Railway passenger transportation services have been upgraded. Fuxing high-speed electric multiple unit (EMU) trains have run through 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. Transportation products have become increasingly diverse, and new services, including online ticket purchase, e-tickets, and online seat selection, have been introduced, making it more convenient and comfortable for people to travel and fundamentally resolving difficulties in getting tickets. Freight volume by rail reached 4.774 billion metric tons in 2021, an increase of 22.3% over 2012. The longstanding bottleneck of railway transportation has been effectively addressed, significant progress has been made in turning from highways to railways in freight transportation, and the transportation of key materials such as grain, fertilizer, and thermal coal has been effectively guaranteed.

Railway equipment and technologies have been improved. Railway equipment has been upgraded. Fuxing EMU trains have covered different speed levels and adapted to various operating environments, and intelligent EMU trains have achieved automatic driving at 350 kilometers per hour for the first time globally. China ranks among the world's advanced in terms of railway technology overall, leads the world in technologies for high-speed, plateau, alpine, and heavy-haul railways, and has formed a technological system for high-speed railway construction and equipment manufacturing with independent intellectual property rights.

The past decade has seen new progress in railway reform. Government functions and commercial operations have been separated through the railway management system, the industry supervision system has been constantly improved, and notable achievements have been made in transforming relevant government functions and streamlining administration and delegating power. Reform of the railway investment and financing system has been deepened, and the proportion of investment in railways by local governments and private capital has been increasing. China Railway has completed the introduction of corporate systems, and a number of companies, including Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co., Ltd., have been listed on the stock market. Important steps have been taken in law-based and market-oriented railway reform.

New prospects have opened up in terms of international cooperation on railway construction in the past 10 years. The China-Laos Railway, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, and the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway have been put into operation successively, and the landmark project, the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway, is progressing in an orderly manner. Railway technological equipment has been exported to more than 100 countries and regions, and the whole industrial chain has gone global. More than 150 Chinese railway technological standards have been published in foreign languages. The China-Europe freight trains have reached 185 cities in 23 European countries, a major achievement and highlight of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Going forward, we will always support key national strategies, uphold a people-centered philosophy, implement the new development philosophy in a sound, accurate, and comprehensive manner, promote high-quality railway development, and be a pioneer in China's modernization drive. Thank you.