Xi stresses building modern logistics system as support for new development pattern

BEIJING — President Xi Jinping on Wednesday stressed coordinated efforts to advance the construction of a modern logistics system to provide strong support for a new development pattern.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the eighth meeting of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs. He is also head of the committee.

Noting that the logistics system plays a fundamental role in the national economy, Xi said that building a modern logistics system should be treated as a critical strategic mission in forming the new development pattern.

Xi called for coordinated efforts to advance the building of hard and soft infrastructures for modern logistics system, develop new logistics technologies and business forms, improve industry regulations and standards, and nurture modern logistics companies with global competitiveness, so as to provide strong support for the new development pattern in which domestic and foreign markets boost each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay.

The meeting was also attended by other leaders including Li Keqiang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng. Reports from several central government departments were heard at the meeting.

Calling an efficient modern logistics system as "indispensable" to both the domestic circulation and the international circulation in the new development pattern, the meeting underlined the need to step up the improvement of a unified domestic market and to enhance high-speed rail and international air freight transport capacity.

Efforts should also be made to facilitate digital and intelligent transformations in building a modern logistics system, support upgrading of commerce logistics facilities that concern people's daily lives, and provide more financial products easily accessible to business entities in the logistics sector.

The country's experience in coping with the COVID-19 epidemic should be drawn upon to quicken the establishment of a resilient emergency logistics system that can guarantee adequate reserves and make rapid responses, according to the meeting.