On May 12, Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng chaired an executive meeting of the Ministry to convey and study the relevant spirit of the Central Committee and to deliberate the submitted drafts of the 14th Five-Year Development Plan for Highways, the 14th Five-Year Development Plan for Water Transport, the 14th Five-Year Development Plan for Pearl River Shipping, the 14th Five-Year Development Plan for the Maritime Safety Administration System, and the Development Plan for the Comprehensive Transport System of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.

The meeting noted that this year is the opening year of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and the high-quality formulation of the series of 14th Five-Year transport plans is a key task of the Ministry this year. Relevant units, firmly implementing the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, have formulated the series of 14th Five-Year transport plans on the basis of thorough study and understanding, in-depth investigation and research, and extensive solicitation of opinions. These mainly include one overall plan, six key special plans for railways, highways, water transport, civil aviation, postal services, and hubs, and other special plans. Work progress should be accelerated, and efforts should be joined to formulate and implement all the 14th Five-Year transport plans well.

The meeting emphasized that after development during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, a highway network featuring wide coverage, interconnection, excellent quality, and sound operation has basically taken shape. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, highway transport should take high-quality development as its theme, pay greater attention to serving the overall national interests, strengthen alignment with major national strategic plans such as the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the construction of the Xiong'an New Area and the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt, accelerate the construction of key projects such as the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, and pay greater attention to coordinating and connecting highways with railways, water transport, civil aviation, and other modes of transport to improve network effects and operational efficiency. Greater attention should be paid to the integrated development of the highway network with transport service networks, information networks, and energy networks; to increasing the depth of transport access in rural and border areas; to accelerating the construction of roads along and reaching the borders; to continuing to deepen the construction of "Four Good Rural Roads"; and to improving road safety facilities, so as to continuously enhance the people's sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security.

The meeting required that the 14th Five-Year Development Plan for Water Transport guide the construction of high-grade waterways, world-class ports, and other projects, and promote high-quality development of water transport during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Focusing closely on the goals of accelerating the building of a transport powerhouse and building a modern, high-quality comprehensive multidimensional transport network, efforts should be made to achieve, through five years of work, notable results in shoring up weaknesses in water transport infrastructure, a significant improvement in the level of smart, green, and safe development, a marked enhancement in supporting and leading capacity, and a further step up to a new level in a modern water transport system that is safe, convenient, efficient, green, and economical.

The meeting emphasized that the Pearl River is China's second-largest golden waterway and an important underpinning for the implementation of major national strategies such as the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the construction of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, and that it holds an important position in regional economic and social development. The high-quality development of Pearl River shipping should be accelerated, the functions of shipping corridors and the level of transport services should be improved, and strong support should be provided for the implementation of major national strategies.

The meeting noted that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the maritime safety administration system should accurately grasp the new development stage, fully implement the new development philosophy, and serve the accelerated building of a new development pattern. It should pay attention to serving the overall national interests, adhere to the principles of innovative development, performing duties in accordance with the law, and serving society, take promoting high-quality development as the theme, open up new prospects for modern maritime development, and provide strong guarantees for accelerating the building of a transport powerhouse and building a national comprehensive multidimensional transport network.

The meeting emphasized that thoughts and actions should be unified with the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, so as to take the lead and provide support for promoting the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. Attention should be paid to dual-core leadership, multidimensional interconnection, green and safe development, and reform and opening up, and the construction of the comprehensive transport system of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle should be accelerated.

Ministry leaders in Beijing and the Ministry's chief engineers attended the meeting. Responsible comrades from relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry and relevant affiliated units attended the meeting as non-voting participants.