Transportation should be a top priority in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region. Accordingly, Li Zhiyong, chairman of the Committee on Proposals of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) led a team in the survey from Aug 30 to Sept 4 of the construction of a modern comprehensive transportation system consisting of ports, railways and roads in the region's cities of Ningbo, Hangzhou, Jiaxing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Yangzhou and Nanjing.

The Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, along with the CPPCC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Zhejiang and Anhui provincial committees of the CPPCC, made surveys to help strengthen the transportation network construction in the Yangtze River Delta region and promote its integrated high-quality development from February to November 2019.

During the third session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee this year, Huang Lixin, chairwoman of the CPPCC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, and Dong Yunhu, Ge Huijun, and Zhang Chang’er, her counterparts from Shanghai, Zhejiang and Anhui, jointly submitted a proposal based on their surveys.

They proposed improving the high-level coordination mechanism for regional comprehensive transportation development, enhancing the international transportation capacity and global presence, building rail transportation in the region, improving the integrated high-quality development of transportation service and transportation markets, and launching innovation pilot projects in key areas of transportation. After the proposal was examined and approved by a Chairperson’s Council meeting of the CPPCC National Committee, the Committee on Proposals is responsible for supervising its implementation.

The Committee on Proposals held a symposium in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province on Sept 4. It was presided over by Chen Yin, the committee's resident vice-chairman.

At the meeting, Li demanded a better understanding of the importance of integrating a modern comprehensive transportation system in the national strategy of the Yangtze River Delta integration.

He called for efforts to handle the relationships between the whole and all parts, use local advantages and promote resource integration.

He also urged efforts to improve the coordination mechanism as well as innovation and pilot programs, so as to seek innovation-driven development.

In her speech, Huang said the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the CPPCC will join hands with other CPPCC provincial committees to contribute more to the high-quality integrated development of the region.

Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Natural Resources, and China State Railway Group Co reported on progress of the survey trip at the meeting.

 Early in April, the NDRC and the Ministry of Transport issued a plan to advance higher-quality integrated development of the region’s transportation. A working mechanism for unifying transportation standards in the regions has been established. The relevant central government departments and the four provincial regions in the Yangtze River Delta - Shanghai and the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui - are specifying goals, tasks, schemes, policies and measures for the implementation of the plan.