China's massive economy is powered by the largest and most efficient logistics and transportation infrastructure, connecting domestic industries and global markets alike.
Over the past decades, China has built the world's most extensive transport infrastructure and one of the busiest logistics networks. Today, the country leads globally in multiple sectors critical to trade and mobility.
China has the world's largest expressway network, high-speed railway network, and postal express delivery system. The nation's expressways span over 191,000 kilometers, and its operational 48,000-kilometer high-speed railway lines account for more than 70 percent of the global total. Its urban rail transit network stretches more than 11,000 kilometers, the longest in the world.
The country also leads the world in the number of electric vehicle charging stations and express delivery outlets, while its parcel volume has ranked first globally for 11 consecutive years.
In maritime shipping, China operates a cluster of globally significant ports. Shanghai Port has held the top spot worldwide in container throughput for 15 years running. Meanwhile, the China-Europe freight train service has made over 118,000 trips, forming the longest and most widely connected cross-border freight route in the world.
At a national cold-chain logistics hub in Kunming's Dianzhong New Area, southwest China's Yunnan Province, refrigerated trucks unload shipments, including chicken and beef, from other regions across the country. Meanwhile, specialty products from Yunnan's remote mountainous regions are shipped nationwide via cold-chain transport. These products also reach Southeast Asian markets through bonded zones and the China-Laos Railway, bolstered by an expanding cross-border logistics network.
"Previously, rail transport from east China or northeast China to Kunming would take seven to 15 days. Now it has been cut to three to seven days. Multimodal transport enables high-frequency, low-cost, and high-efficiency logistics to better serve the public," said Yin Shijun, market director of Kunming Baoxiang Cold Storage Logistics Co., Ltd.
However, experts say logistics efficiency can still be significantly enhanced through systemic optimization and deeper integration of operations.
"We need to achieve seamless integration and connectivity by leveraging the comparative advantages of various transport modes. In terms of infrastructure, we should prioritize the development of hub construction and logistics park to promote effective linkage and integrated operations across transport modes. At the same time, we must place emphasis on aligning standards, rules, and management systems across different transport modes and operational segments," said Li Yanlin, deputy director with the Modern Logistics Research Center under the China Academy of Transportation Sciences.
China builds advanced national logistics, transportation networks
China will take more effective measures to improve people's wellbeing, especially in education, healthcare, and social security, an official said Thursday in Beijing at a press conference on the interpretation of this year's government work report, which was submitted to the national legislature for deliberation earlier in the day.
Shen Danyang, head of the government work report drafting team and director of the State Council Research Office, said centering on enhancing educational equity and quality, the report made arrangements for education at all educational stages and of all types.
"Regarding preschool education, the policy of free education in the year prior to entering primary school will continue to be implemented this year, which is commonly referred to as free admission to the senior class of kindergartens. So, how can the income reduction of kindergartens be addressed? Subsidies will be provided by both the central and local governments, with the central government taking the lion's share. This year, the funds allocated to support the development of preschool education will increase significantly by 37.8 percent to ensure the implementation of the beneficial policy," he said.
Regarding senior high school education, Shen said the report stated that the supply of regular senior high school places will be increased,
Specifically, for areas with a continuous net inflow of population, a number of regular high schools will be planned and constructed on an annual basis. For regions with a temporary shortage of school places, priority will be given to the renovation and expansion of existing teaching buildings, student dormitories and canteens, he said.
Shen said the report put forward many supportive measures in healthcare.
"For instance, it urged efforts to strengthen coordination in drug use at the grassroots level, which mean improving the list of essential drugs, and optimizing the channels for drug supply and drug use coordination between upper- and lower-level medical and health institutions to make it more convenient for the public to use drugs at their doorstep. Besides, the report has made arrangements for supporting the development of innovative drugs for the third consecutive year. This year, China will strengthen the coordination of supportive policies in an all-round way, further address issues such as the barriers facing innovative drugs entering hospitals, and better meet the diverse medical and medication needs of the people," he said.
In terms of social security, Shen said the report proposed to continue raising the minimum standard of basic pensions for urban and rural residents -- a policy will benefit over 180 million elderly people.
"The central government will allocate 1.25 trillion yuan (about 181.25 billion U.S. dollars) in subsidy funds to ensure the timely and full payment of pensions. In response to the insufficient protection of the rights and interests of people engaging in new occupations, the report proposed to steadily and orderly expand the scale of the pilot program for occupational injury insurance. This year, the policy will cover 31 provincial-level regions across the country and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Meanwhile, enterprises specializing in travel, instant delivery and intra-city freight delivery will be included in the pilot program, which will ensure the safety of more laborers, such as food delivery workers and online car-hailing drivers," he said.
China to improve people's wellbeing in education, healthcare, social security: official
