China will set up an innovation centre to boost global sustainable transportation, Chinese President Xi Jinping told an international conference on Thursday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Speaking via video-link at the opening of a United Nations conference on sustainable transport held in Beijing, Xi called for more development of ‘smart transportation’ and ‘smart logistics’ by using more big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.
Xi noted that transportation has facilitated economic integration and people-to-people exchanges and turned the world into a close-knit global village. It was important to pursue an open world economy, reject discriminatory or exclusive rules and systems, and make economic globalization more inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all, the president was quoted as saying in a China Daily report.
Xi also called for stepping up green infrastructure development, promoting new energy and ‘smart’, digital and lightweight transportation equipment, and encouraging and advocating green travel, for more environmentally friendly and low-carbon transport and travel, the report added.
The second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference runs through Saturday, and is expected to show the way forward for sustainable transportation to help achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
- Reuters with additional editing by Jim Pollard
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