CNR:

Transport is related to each of us. It is a sector where people can have the strongest sense of gain. What efforts has the Ministry of Transport made over the past decade to improve people's travel experience and the quality of transport services? What considerations will come next? Thank you.

Xu Chengguang:

Thank you for your questions. Transport and logistics indeed have a bearing on the national economy and people's livelihoods, connecting both production and consumption. They are closely related to each of us.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the transport industry has acted via a people-centered development philosophy to give priority to serving economic development and improving people's livelihoods, and strived to develop the transport to the satisfaction of the people.

First, we have given priority to improving service supply capability. By the end of 2021, the number of commercial passengers had reached 8.303 billion, and the commercial cargo volume 52.16 billion metric tons. To be specific, high-speed train passengers made 2.53 billion trips, five times the number in 2012. The length of expressways that opened to traffic exceeded 160,000 kilometers, and the density of the highway network reached 55 kilometers per 100 square kilometers, up 24.6% from that in 2012. At roughly 95%, shipping makes up the lion's share of China's foreign trade cargo transport. China's international shipping volume accounts for one-third of the global shipping volume.

Second, we have paid more attention to ensuring equal transport services that benefit everyone. We have stepped up efforts to boost the integration of urban and rural transport. With rural-urban buses, inter-city buses and rural buses, more and more rural residents enjoy the same travel services as urban residents. Public transport services ranked first in the satisfaction score of the national public service quality monitoring in 2021.

Third, we have continued to focus on improving the quality of transport services. By the end of 2021, a total of 51 cities nationwide had operational urban rail transit, the total mileage of which increased by 4.2 times compared with that in 2012. We have promoted paperless travel, with e-tickets basically covering all railways and civil aviation. We have accelerated the improvement of the travel service system for the elderly to help them buy tickets. Ride-hailing services now cover more than 300 cities at and above the prefecture level in China, with average daily orders standing at about 21 million. Customized passenger transport services have been launched in 27 provinces, effectively satisfying people's needs for door-to-door travel services.

Fourth, regarding the supply of transport products, we have paid more attention to providing rich and diversified services. We have promoted one-stop travel services, accelerated the development of air-rail combined transport, and realized mutual recognition of railway and urban rail transit security checks at many passenger transport hubs. We have sped up the development of multimodal transport to ensure full service across the whole process with a waybill once commissioned. In 2021, the rail-water combined transport services delivered 7.54 million TEUs, with an average annual growth of 23.8%.

Next, we will continue to build an express transport network for travels and logistics at home and abroad, accelerate the development of intermodal passenger transport and multimodal cargo transport, and create a convenient, smooth, cost-effective, open and shared, green, smart, safe, reliable, modern, and comprehensive transport service system to improve people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. Thank you.

Xing Huina:

Today's briefing is hereby concluded. Thank you to all speakers and friends from the media. 

Translated and edited by Zhang Jiaqi, Zhou Jing, Zhu Bochen, Zhang Junmian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Liu Sitong, Xu Kailin, Liu Qiang, Ma Yujia, Li Huiru, Zhang Tingting, Wang Yiming, Chen Xia, Zhang Rui, He Shan, Cui Can, Wang Qian, David Ball, Jay Birbeck and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.