China's logistics sector has continued to show strong improvement in efficiency in the first quarter of this year, with the ratio of social logistics costs to GDP standing at 14.1 percent, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points year on year, according to the official data released on Tuesday.
The total social logistics cost for the period amounted to 4.5 trillion yuan (about 620 billion U.S. dollars), according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
Experts attribute the improvement in logistics costs to the enhancement in logistics infrastructure and the widespread adoption of multimodal transportation systems.
In the first quarter, investment in key logistics infrastructure continued to rise, with investment in the water transportation sector surging by 25.9 percent year on year, and fixed asset investment in national railways increasing by 5.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the synergy between sea and rail transport has become more evident.
"This multimodal transport system has effectively boosted transportation efficiency. The coordinated upgrade of both water and land infrastructure has further strengthened the transportation structure, providing strong support for reducing logistics costs and improving efficiency," said Peng Chun, deputy director of the Department of Logistics Management at Beijing Jiaotong University.
In the first quarter, the logistics industry's total revenue reached 3.3 trillion yuan (about 455 billion U.S. dollars), marking a five percent year-on-year growth, which was 0.2 percentage points higher than the January-February period.
Logistics business revenue of key surveyed logistics companies also showed positive growth, increasing by six percent year on year, with a 0.4 percentage point improvement compared to the January-February period.
In addition, many logistics companies are driving cost reductions and boosting efficiency through the implementation of intelligent solutions, management upgrades, and other innovative measures.
China's logistics sector reports strong efficiency growth in Q1
The results of a poll released by China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Monday show that building China-Latin America community with shared future has been gaining growing support from the people of Latin America.
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the official launch of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum, CGTN, in collaboration with the University of San Martin de Porres, Latin American Center of Political and Economical Studies on China and University of Santiago de Chile, conducted the poll with 2,500 respondents across 10 Latin American countries.
The results of the poll show that respondents strongly agree with the development philosophy and achievements of Chinese modernization and view China-Latin America cooperation positively. The China-Latin America community with a shared future has also gained growing support from the people of Latin America.
China and Latin American countries are all developing nations. The philosophy of Chinese modernization offers a valuable reference for Latin American countries in their pursuit of development.
China is viewed favorably by the majority of respondents, the poll results show. A total of 94.8 percent of respondents see China as a successful country, 85.9 percent find it attractive and 94.8 percent recognize China's strong economic power. In addition, 95.6 percent of the surveyed respondents recognize China's technological strength, and 82.9 percent believe the country's development model is of reference value to Latin America.
In recent years, more Latin American countries have chosen to establish or resume diplomatic ties with China. The poll results show that 86.2 percent of respondents have a favorable view of China and 87.7 percent expressed a favorable view of the Chinese people. The same percentage hold a favorable opinion of Chinese companies investing and operating in Latin America.
In the five countries that have recently established or resumed diplomatic relations with China -- The Dominican Republic, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, the respondents expressed even stronger goodwill toward China, with an average favorability rate exceeding 90 percent.
Young people are full of vitality and dreams. The respondents aged 18 to 34 expressed significantly higher favorability toward China compared to other age groups.
Among them, those aged 25 to 34 have the highest favorability toward China (92.2 percent), followed by those aged 18 to 24 at 87.7 percent. Additionally, 87.2 percent of Latin American respondents acknowledge China's cultural influence, with 91.9 percent of respondents aged 18 to 24 and 89 percent of those aged 25 to 34 agreeing holding this view. Moreover, 88.1 percent of Latin American respondents positively assess China's contribution to human civilization.
Among respondents aged 18 to 34, the proportion of those who frequently or always engage with Chinese culture and entertainment products is 13.7 percentage points higher than that of those aged 35 or older. Nearly half (49.2 percent) of Latin American respondents believe that exposure to Chinese popular culture has effectively enhanced their understanding of China.
As a key driver of China-Latin America cooperation, the Belt and Road Initiative's (BRI) influence in Latin American countries is steadily growing, and respondents' understanding of the initiative is becoming increasingly rational.
In the description of the BRI, the top three points of agreement are: "a development model that countries can adopt to improve economic prosperity" (55 percent), "an important public good provided by China for improving international governance" (54 percent), and "China's vision for cooperation with other countries" (52.6 percent).
Additionally, 80.4 percent of respondents believe the BRI has a positive impact on the development of Latin American countries; 81.1 percent agree with the "consultation, contribution, and shared benefits" principle upheld by the initiative; 82.1 percent view it as an important contribution by China to the world; and 80.9 percent feel that it helps establish a more equitable international order.
According to the poll results, 86.5 percent of respondents believe economic cooperation with China has been mutually beneficial and 90 percent agree that Chinese investment has effectively boosted local economic development.
Regarding China-Latin America relations, 81.8 percent of respondents believe the current relationship is progressing positively; 93.8 percent consider maintaining strong ties with China vital to their country; and 89 percent express optimism about the future of bilateral relations.
The poll covered ten countries: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. Respondents were members of the general public aged 18 to 55 and older, with sampling aligned with each country's census-based age and gender distribution.
The poll results were made public one day before the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum opened in Beijing.
CELAC, launched in 2010, is an intergovernmental mechanism for dialogue and political agreement, which includes all 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries in the region.
Poll: Building China-Latin America community with shared future gains growing support
