China to make logistics system smarter, greener

A logistics man works at Changsha north railway station in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province on May 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

China will improve its logistics network for commercial services and international trade to make the system smarter, greener and more efficient by 2025, according to an action plan jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce and eight other government departments.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the country will strive to establish a modern logistics system with a number of influential logistics firms competing internationally, the plan says.

The application of big data, 5G technology and artificial intelligence to the logistics system will be encouraged to facilitate more efficient delivery, according to the plan.

During the period, efforts will also be made to encourage the use of recyclable packaging materials and energy-saving transport equipment to create a green logistics system, the plan says.

China plans to establish several national cold-chain logistics bases and develop a whole-process distribution system to accelerate cold-chain logistics development from 2021 to 2025, according to the plan.

The high-quality development of logistics for commercial activities and international trade will contribute to the new development paradigm of "dual circulation" which allows domestic and overseas markets to reinforce each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay, the plan says.