Li Jianhong: Launching Coordinated Mechanism to Promote Transportation Network

CPPCC member Li Jianhong, also chairman of China Merchants Group (CMG), stressed the importance of building a good transportation network when he accepted interviews during the two sessions.

"Going through the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, all sectors of the society have realized the importance of a safe and stable supply chain," Li said. 

"Although the transportation and logistics industries greatly contributed to the emergency transport, there were still weaknesses in regional traffic control, cooperation between supply and demand departments and dockings of logistics."

He added that "Particularly in the early stage of the pandemic, the unsmooth dockings between producers, suppliers and demanders as well as between departments of storage, transport and allocation dragged down first aid efficiency. Similar short-outs also occurred during the period of production resumption."

Traffic is one of CMG's top three industries. 

During the pandemic, according to Li, CMG was responsible for several anti-pandemic supply transport missions when several countries and regions took restrictive measures including stopping flights and voyages to China.

It took advantage of its integrated transport as well as its global transport and logistics network and opened a global emergency critical supply transport green passage, delivering goods from all around the world to China.

By early March, CMG's Sinotrans Limited had transported more than 10,000 tons of anti-pandemic materials. China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited, China Merchants Expressway Network & Technology Holdings Co., Ltd. and Liaoning Port Group also launched several green passages to ensure smooth transport of critical goods.

Li explained that CMG also established an emergency logistics platform that provided free transport service for anti-pandemic supplies to Central China's Hubei province where the pandemic first burst out in the country.

The year 2020 is crucial for building China into a country with a strong transportation network. 

As building a country with a strong transportation network is a vast and systematic project which calls for cooperation in every regard, Li suggested that a new-type of coordinated and integrated mechanism should be launched to strengthen coordination between departments as well as governments and enterprises.

On the new mechanism, Li explained that coordinated work between regions in China should be improved and backbone traffic enterprises should join in the system.

In addition, he suggested that the Ministry of Transport improve the multimodal transport system. It could do so, for example, by launching an interactive mechanism with leading traffic enterprises and promoting cooperation with large-scale railway and port enterprises to form an integrated operation network.

Last but not least, he pointed that a main supply transport guarantee system should be built and enterprises be encouraged to participate in the system.

He suggested that the National Development and Reform Commission should make full use of backbone enterprises' logistics industrial parks and their storage facilities, improving deployment of relief material storage warehouses, transit depots and distribution centers to ensure an in-time emergency supply.

CPPCC member Li Jianhong, chairman of China Merchants Group (CMG), suggests launch of an integrated coordinated mechanism to strengthen China's transportation network. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)