China has pledged to strengthen intercontinental connectivity and air transport capabilities, with the aim of building world-class aviation enterprises and air transport hubs by 2050.
The Civil Aviation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CAAC) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) have jointly issued guidelines for promoting the construction of international aviation hubs, which set out three phases of development goals for construction.
The operational system of international air transport hubs will be essentially established by 2025 and fully established by 2035, the guidelines say.
By 2050, numerous world-class aviation companies and aviation hubs are to be established and the functional network of international aviation hubs will be further improved. This will support China’s development into a first-class aviation power with strong safety capabilities, high public satisfaction and high competitiveness.
The guidelines now also clearly define the core tasks for promoting the development of international hubs.
“Efforts will be made to enhance the intercontinental connectivity and global broadcasting capabilities of international air transport hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to improve domestic-international and inter-country transit capacities. The aim is to create central hubs connecting destinations across the country and integrating the national air transport network with international air transport corridors,” said Zhang Qing, director of the CAAC’s Development and Planning Department.
The guidelines also propose accelerating the construction of international air transport hubs in cities such as Chengdu, Shenzhen, Kunming, Xi’an, Chongqing, Urumqi and Harbin.
Combined with the functional definition of these cities, it aims to build an international route network with regional advantages.
China aims to build world-class aviation centers and companies by 2050
Martin Taylor, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in China, has expressed serious concerns about the spread of Mpox (monkeypox), particularly in Africa, and the possibility of international spread.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Taylor stressed that the virus continues to circulate due to previous outbreaks and has a significant impact on global health.
“Group 2 from the previous outbreak is still circulating. This is mainly through sexual transmission, through sexual contact. Group 1b, which we are seeing now, is primarily human-to-human contact. This can be touching during sexual contact, kissing or conversations in close proximity. And this is the main route of transmission. Contact with infected animals, contact with infected materials, for example contaminated bed sheets, are other routes of transmission,” he said.
The WHO declared Mpox an international health emergency in mid-August and raised the alarm about the possibility of further international transmission.
Taylor said the move was aimed at strengthening prevention against the disease worldwide.
“So the Mpox virus is different from the COVID virus, it has a different mode of transmission. But what we are seeing in the DRC and in some neighboring countries, in four neighboring countries, is that there is a risk of international spread. We have seen that in four neighboring countries of the DRC. And so the risk of further spread is of course a concern. There is a risk or potential for further outbreaks. And that is why this international health emergency has been declared so that we can focus on two main concerns. First, we need to provide all the support we can to the affected countries so that they can stop the transmission, but also to alert other countries that they need to be prepared because there is the possibility of imported cases,” he said.
Kenya’s Ministry of Health announced on Friday that a second case of Mpox had been confirmed in the country and promised increased surveillance to prevent further transmission.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Health, Singapore will introduce temperature and visual checks at airports and sea checkpoints for inbound travellers and crew members from MPOX-affected areas from Friday.
WHO raises alarm over Mpox transmission risk as cases spread in Africa
