Opening Ceremony of the Conference: Zhang Chunxian

Chinese Version (PDF File)

Please allow me, on behalf of the Ministry of Communications of the People's Republic of China, to extend my warm welcome to all the ministers and representatives of the road transport community from afar and my sincere gratitude to all the entities, international organizations and financial institutions, which have shown support to the Conference.

Within the context of economic globalization, the economic, trade and personnel exchanges between Asia and Europe have been steadily increased. Road transport, as one of the major modes of transport between Asia and Europe, has played a significant role in promoting the economic development and social progress of the two continents.

This Conference, with the theme of "Road Transport: Bridging Asia and Europe", is aimed to promote the rapid development of Euro-Asian international road transport, to meet the continuously growing demands of the economic and trade development of the two continents, and to boost the new economic growth. I am convinced that this Conference will have positive and profound impacts on the further development and cooperation of Euro-Asian international road transport.

The Chinese Government has always attached great importance to the development of transport industry and placed transport industry as one of the top priorities of the national economic development. The Chinese Government, oriented towards the establishment of integrated transport system, has long been devoting itself to the construction of transport infrastructure. Achievements in road infrastructure sector have attracted worldwide attention. By the end of 2004, a total of 1.87 million km of roads have been open to traffic, among which 34,000 km are expressways.

In 2004, the Chinese Government has published the National Expressway Network Plan, whereby a national expressway network will be in shape in the next 20-30 years. At the same time, the Chinese Government has also committed itself to the construction of road transport infrastructure and development of international road transport, and has actively participated in international road transport cooperation.

China has so far signed 13 bilateral or sub-regional international road transport agreements with 10 neighbor countries and opened over 140 routes for international freight and passenger transport. The rapid growth of international road transport has given an incentive to the facilitation of trade and investment and boosted the economic development of the countries concerned.

This Euro-Asian Road Transport Conference is a great event in road transport industry, which is intended to provide an opportunity for the interested Euro-Asian countries, related international organizations and financial institutions and international road transport community to communicate and learn from each other. I sincerely hope that this Conference will further enhance the mutual understanding between and among the countries and expand the communications and cooperation in road transport sector between Asia and Europe with a view to promoting the economic prosperity and social progress of China and other Euro-Asian countries.

Euro-Asian road transport has bridged economic and cultural communications between Asia and Europe. We are ready to work with the countries in Asia and Europe to make positive and due contribution to the further development of Euro-Asian transport industry.

Finally, I wish every success of the 3rd Euro-Asian Road Transport Conference!

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