Focus on Key Proposals in the Logistics Sector at the Two Sessions

Release date:

2021-03-12

Author:

Jinhua Logistics

The Fourth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress was held in Beijing on March 5, 2021. The Fourth Session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference was held in Beijing on March 4, 2021.
At this year’s Two Sessions, there were once again numerous voices on the logistics sector. Proposals from deputies to the National People’s Congress and members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference—representing diverse sectors across the country—on topics such as express delivery, logistics, food delivery, air cargo, and intelligent transportation deserve close attention from those in the logistics industry.
Li Yanhong, Chairman of Baidu and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
Specific recommendations include: at the national level, further intensifying policy innovation to establish a legal framework for the large-scale commercial deployment of autonomous driving; establishing a mechanism for advancing the large-scale commercialization of autonomous driving, with participation from governments at all levels, industry, and academia; accelerating the intelligent transformation of transportation infrastructure, broadly applying technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and 5G, and building a low-carbon, efficient, and convenient transportation system; and encouraging enterprises to increase R&D investment in autonomous vehicles and key hardware and software components, thereby promoting the widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles.
Zhang Jindong, Chairman of Suning Holdings Group and a deputy to the National People’s Congress
On the pressing issue of green logistics, our research reveals that a standalone green‑logistics circular system cannot achieve cross‑industry circulation, making it difficult to realize economies of scale and drive cost reductions and efficiency gains. Moreover, recycling and treatment processes related to environmental protection are highly specialized and require substantial investment, posing significant challenges for enterprises seeking to build such systems independently. He recommends initiating legislative efforts to promote green and environmentally friendly practices, using laws and regulations to mandate the development of a green logistics framework. At the same time, drawing on the model of urban waste‑sorting and recycling systems, he suggests establishing a robust infrastructure for the collection and processing of packaging waste, thereby accelerating progress in green logistics. In addition, addressing the relatively high share of logistics costs in GDP within the commerce and distribution sector, Zhang Jindong proposes enhancing the integration of online and offline channels, strengthening unified design across the entire distribution chain, and expediting upgrades to both software and hardware—measures aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of the distribution system.
Wang Yu, Chairman of Spring Airlines and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
At present, the central and western regions remain the weaker links in China’s economic development. Promoting the gradual relocation of industries from the eastern region to these areas and encouraging private entrepreneurs to increase investment there constitute key pathways for accelerating industrial development in the central and western regions. Accordingly, we recommend replicating some of the eastern region’s successful industrial parks in the central and western regions, fostering business-friendly environments and robust industrial chains that support enterprise growth. This approach would help alleviate entrepreneurs’ investment concerns while also enabling the eastern region to address pressing issues such as land scarcity, rising labor costs, structural transformation, and the need for industrial upgrading through phased relocation. Meanwhile, it is advisable to continue the established model of paired‑assistance cooperation between the eastern and central/western regions, establishing support partnerships specifically aimed at industrial collaboration.
Wang Tian, Chairman of BBK Group and a deputy to the National People’s Congress
In his proposal, “On the Role of Regularized Epidemic‑Control Supervision in Stabilizing Consumption,” Wang Tian recommends adopting a science‑based governance approach to coordinate pandemic prevention and control, thereby alleviating concerns about person‑to‑object transmission; standardizing media reporting on “products testing positive”; inviting experts and researchers to conduct ongoing public education campaigns on epidemic prevention; ensuring that imported cold‑chain foods are sold immediately upon leaving storage facilities, while prohibiting blanket removal from shelves of imported products that possess all three required certificates; prioritizing vaccination for frontline workers in food production, packaging, distribution, and cold‑chain logistics; and encouraging third‑party organizations to participate in collaborative social governance of epidemic prevention.
Liu Yonghao, Chairman of New Hope Group and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
It is recommended that the state increase policy and financial support for cold-chain infrastructure—including cold-storage facilities, refrigerated vehicles, and related equipment—as well as for digital technologies such as temperature-control systems, artificial intelligence, big-data‑driven replenishment, and cloud computing. Enterprises should be encouraged to pursue technological innovation, fostering a cohort of leading cold-chain logistics firms with core competitiveness. Liu Yonghao also suggests that the Ministry of Transport initiate the development of a cold-chain logistics database, enabling oversight and enforcement of compliance violations throughout the supply chain, while recognizing and rewarding compliant enterprises and publicly censuring and holding accountable those found non‑compliant, with such data integrated into the credit‑reporting system. This approach would promote the sound development of the fresh‑produce distribution system, ensuring product quality from farm to table, and enhancing the international competitiveness of China’s agricultural products.
National People’s Congress deputy Wang Shiling
Given the rapid development of the national logistics sector, particularly during the pandemic, failure to integrate and streamline our current logistics system has already led to instances—such as the detection of positive COVID‑19 cases in cold‑chain products. Therefore, we recommend strengthening and intensifying regulatory oversight to establish a robust cold‑chain logistics framework, while enhancing monitoring and management. We are confident that these efforts will play a pivotal role in driving overall economic growth, especially in rural areas.