The 15th CHINA TRANSPO was focused on displaying domestic and foreign new achievements, breakthroughs and new directions in the fields of intelligent upgrading of transport infrastructure, development of new transport equipment, intelligent operation management, innovative services, etc.
Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana represented Sri Lanka in Beijing, China from September 25 to 26.
CHINA TRANSPO is the only international professional exhibition hosted by the Ministry of Transport of China on a biennial basis. It has become the most influential and largest international exhibition in China’s transportation industry and enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad.
Sustainable transport is an important part of sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations and its Sustainable Development Goals fully reflect the important supporting role of transport in achieving global sustainable development. In response to the major problems facing the current global transport system, the United Nations successfully held the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference in Beijing in October 2021 and issued the Beijing Statement, which reaffirmed the importance of sustainable transport, described the vision for global sustainable transport development, proposed action initiatives to strengthen transport cooperation, and called on all stakeholders to take action together to accelerate the transition to sustainable transport.
In order to further reinforce the achievements reached at the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China is scheduled to hold the Global Sustainable Transport Forum (2023) in Beijing from September 25 to 26, 2023 and the 15th China International Exhibition on Transport Technology and Equipment (CHINA TRANSPO) at the same time. The Forum will be organized by Global Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center.
2. Global Sustainable Transport Forum (2023)
Promoting global transport cooperation and achieving sustainable transport development is an inherent requirement for implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and an important way to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The Forum will foster an official high-level platform for promoting global transport cooperation, and contribute to the promotion of Global Development Initiative.
Theme
The Forum will focus on sustainable transport cooperation, with the theme of “Sustainable Transport: Working Together to Promote Global Development”.
Topics
Highlighting the international consensus reached at the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, the Forum will focus on five topics specifically, namely:
(a) Connectivity: Promoting Connectivity in The Digital Age
We will keep abreast of the development trend of global transport digitalization, focus on the important role of transport in ensuring the stable and smooth global logistics supply chain, promote the intelligent interconnection of all stakeholders in the supply chain, facilitate cross-border movement of people and goods, thus boosting post-pandemic global economic recovery.
(b) Common Development: Leaving No Country or No One Behind the We will focus on the imbalance in global transport development, with more attention to address the development concerns of developing countries, strengthening North-South and South-South cooperation to mobilize support for the development of transport infrastructure in the least developed countries and landlocked developing countries, and fully addressing the needs of vulnerable groups and the challenges they face, so as to ensure that no country or no one being left behind on the road of sustainable transport transformation.
(c) Innovation-driven Development: Embracing The Bright Future of Global Smart Transport.
We will seize the new opportunities brought by the new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, ride the development trend of new technologies and new business models such as digital economy and artificial intelligence, boost the development of smart transport and smart logistics, promote the deep integration of new technologies such as big data, the Internet, artificial intelligence and blockchain with the transport industry, bridge the digital gap by accelerating technology transfer and knowledge sharing, to realize the goal of more enjoyable movement of people and smoother flow of goods while embracing the bright future of global smart transport.
(d) Eco-sound Development: Accelerating The Green and Low-carbon Transformation of Global Transport
We will focus on the goal of climate control set in the Paris Agreement, mobilize global transport industry to cope with climate change, reduce CO2 emissions of all transport modes, and speed up transformation into green and low-carbon transport modes. We will strengthen international cooperation in transport sector to tackle climate change, in particular to improve the climate-resistance capability of developing countries by enhancing the climate resilience and adaptability of their transport infrastructure.
(e) Global Governance: Building a Global Sustainable Transport Partnership
We will advocate the concept of global governance of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, maintain the authority and core position of the United Nations, focus on implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, strengthen global sustainable transport cooperation under the framework of the United Nations, support the United Nations to play a lead and coordinated role in global development cooperation, and enhance the representation and voice of emerging economies and developing countries in global transport governance, in order to jointly build a global sustainable transport partnership that is united, equal, balanced and inclusive.
Programme
The Forum is scheduled for two days in a hybrid form of online and onsite. The onsite venue is located in Beijing.
Participants
It is scheduled to invite leaders of the Chinese Government, heads of the United Nations and international organizations, some foreign dignitaries and Transport Ministers to attend the Forum and deliver speeches, and invite high-profile entrepreneurs at home and abroad to attend the Forum. It is planned to arrange more than 60 domestic and foreign representatives to address the topics of the Forum.
Relevant Activities
In order to facilitate the participants to take the opportunity to strengthen exchanges in sustainable transport, the host of the Forum will provide a certain number of meeting rooms for the participants to hold bilateral meetings or side events. Interested parties please apply at an early date and provide the name, theme, attendees, speakers and other concerned information of the events. The host will make overall arrangements according to the needs of applicants and availability of meeting rooms on the principle of first come, first served.
Outcome
It is expected to release China’s initiatives on implementing the global development initiative and promoting sustainable transport development, release China’s Sustainable Transport Development Report (2023), propose to establish the Global Innovation Alliance for Sustainable Transport, and sign several bilateral and multilateral cooperation documents in transport sector.
In addition, in order to further enrich the outcomes of the Forum, the Ministry of Transport of China will also actively communicate and cooperate with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs to consolidate the results of the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference to discuss the joint preparation of the Global Sustainable Transport Development Report (2023) and work together to carry out people to people exchange projects on global sustainable transport.
3. The 15th CHINA TRANSPO
CHINA TRANSPO is the only international professional exhibition hosted by the Ministry of Transport of China on a biennial basis. It has become the most influential and largest international exhibition in China’s transportation industry and enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad.
The 15th CHINA TRANSPO will focus on displaying domestic and foreign new achievements, breakthroughs and new directions in the fields of intelligent upgrading of transport infrastructure, development of new transport equipment, intelligent operation management, innovative services, etc. It is intended to build a platform for publicizing and promoting sustainable transportation technologies, equipment, standards and experience. Domestic and foreign enterprises in transport sector and related industries will be invited to participate.
4. Global Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center (GSTIKC)
Chinese President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to sustainable transport development and promoting global transport cooperation. At the opening ceremony of the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, President Xi announced the establishment of Global Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center, aiming at contributing to global transport development. On October 14, 2022, President Xi sent his message on the inauguration of the Global Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center and pointed out that China is ready to work with other countries to make full use of the platform of the Center, to promote global transport cooperation, and make contributions to promoting the Global Development Initiative, implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
GSTIKC, affiliated with the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China, is committed to implementing Global Development Initiative and United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. GSTIKC will aim at a high-end think tank, a platform of cooperation and a window of showcase, a model of people to people exchanges to promote sustainable transport and sustainable development.
The main working goals of the GSTIKC include:
* Promote openness, interaction and connectivity. GSTIKC will hold international forum on sustainable transport and create global cooperation network for sustainable transport.
* Promote common development, fairness and inclusiveness. GSTIKC will build a knowledge-sharing and showcasing platform for global transport.
* Promote innovation for stronger development momentum. GSTIKC will set up a global innovation alliance of sustainable transport to develop smart transport and smart logistics and promote deep integration of new technologies like big data, the Internet, artificial intelligence and block chain with the transport sector.
* Promote ecological conservation as a priority and pursue green and low-carbon development. GSTIKC will organize high-level communication programs to improve global capacity-building on green and low-carbon transport and make transport and travel more environment friendly and low-carbon.
*Promote international cooperation to tackle global challenges. GSTIKC, with the global governance vision featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, will build a high-end think tank on global sustainable transport to provide intellectual support and improve global awareness and actions for global sustainable transport.
