China on Wednesday proposed the establishment of a coordination
mechanism in transport industry to the gathering of transportation
ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Bali,
Indonesia.
"To provide a safer environment for trade and investment
liberalization, we propose the establishment of a coordination
mechanism for the regular exchange of safety and security
information in the APEC region," said Yang Yuanyuan, Minister of
the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
He made the remarks during the 4th APEC Transportation
Ministerial Meeting attended by ministers or their representatives
of 21 APEC economies.
Minister Yang said such coordination will help enhance safety
and security cooperation among APEC members and improve the overall
transport safety and security in the region.
Another China's proposal in the three-day meeting is for the
APEC to advance transport market liberalization independently and
in coordination.
In view of the diverging levels of economic development and
regulatory system of APEC economies, "we maintain that economies
set their own pace and manner for liberalization in light of their
own specific conditions," Yang said.
In the meantime, "we need to step up coordination with one
another in the process of the liberalization so as to facilitate
the free movement of trade and investment in this region," he
added.
Yang stressed that China attaches great importance to
cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific transport industry
and supports the overall objectives of APEC in the field of
transport.
"Recent years have witnessed China's continued contribution to
the industry in this region by enhancing air safety and security,
opening up air transport market and stepping up cooperation with
APEC economies," he said.
He noted that last year, total air traffic turnover volume in
China reached nearly 17 billion tons/kilometer with 1,155 scheduled
air routes connecting China's domestic cities and 72 cities in 32
countries.
In the same year, the Chinese civil aviation industry underwent
the most profound reform in more than 20 years, with the
consolidation of air carriers and transfer airports to local
governments, he said.
While saying that China's air transport system is moving toward
greater safety, openness and dynamism, Yang underlines that China's
transport industry depends on cooperation amongst the Asia-Pacific
economies.
(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2004)
