China to enhance global competitiveness in transport

BEIJING - China aims to raise its global competitiveness in the transport sector by setting up transport networks with wider coverage and higher speed, according to an official document.

The country will establish a comprehensive modern transport system by 2035, according to the document jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

The transport system will be composed of three networks: a high speed network of high-speed railways, expressways and civil aviation, an arterial network of low-speed railways, national highways and waterways, and oil and gas pipelines, and a basic network of provincial highways, rural highways, regional railways and general aviation, said Wang Zhiqing, a senior official with the Ministry of Transport.

China will build a domestic travel circle to limit commutes within cities to one hour and travel times to neighboring cities and major cities nationwide to two hours and three hours, respectively.

Circles for speedy logistics will be completed to facilitate domestic goods delivery within one day, shipping to neighboring countries in two days and logistics to major cities worldwide in three days, according to the document.

The country will also promote intelligent transport with the support of big data, artificial intelligence, blockchain and supercomputing and adopt an environmentally friendly model of development by saving energy and controlling pollution.