The sixth World Customs Organization (WCO) Global Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Conference opened in Shenzhen City of south China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday, gathering over 1,200 officials and representatives from more than 100 countries and regions for a more inclusive and sustainable global trade system.
The AEO system is a certification system advocated by the WCO that provides preferential treatment to enterprises with high credit status, law-abiding and safety levels.
The Global AEO Conference is the highest-level global conference in the field and is regarded as the largest capacity building activity of the WCO.
The three-day conference is themed on "Harnessing the Power of AEO Programs for Inclusive and Sustainable Global Trade", and gathers over 1,200 officials and representatives from various government departments, international organizations, business and academia.
The conference is being held in China for the first time, showcasing the country's growing potency in the global trade system, according to WCO officials.
"Because the AEO program is in fact a flagship program within the framework for trade facilitation that the WCO has established. China is an important player in the world of global trade, and China is also one of the most successful countries in the implementation of AEO program. So, it is quite fitting that China is hosting the sixth WCO Global AEO Conference," said Edward Kieswetter, chairperson of the WCO Council.
By the end of March of this year, China has signed AEO mutual recognition agreements with 26 economies, covering 52 countries and regions, including 35 Belt and Road partners, with the number of mutual recognition arrangements (agreements) signed and the number of mutual recognition countries and regions ranking first in the world.
Global AEO Conference opens in Shenzhen to explore inclusive trade system
China's civil aviation sector maintained steady operations in 2024, with both air passenger traffic and fixed-asset investment reaching record highs, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
The industry's watchdog revealed that the country's civil aviation industry last year achieved a record passenger volume of 730 million and a cargo and mail volume of 8.98 million metric tons, with year-on-year increases of 17.9 percent and 22.1 percent, respectively.
During the same period, the number of international flights surged to weekly 6,400, reaching 84 percent of pre-pandemic levels, with the international cargo and mail volume jumping by 29.3 percent.
Thanks to record passenger numbers and steady growth in cargo volumes, the sector in 2024 reduced its losses by 19.24 billion yuan (around 2.62 billion U.S. dollars) from a year ago, hitting the break-even point and swinging back into the black.
From January to December, the sector's fixed-asset investment exceeded 100 billion yuan (roughly 13.64 billion U.S. dollars) for the fifth straight year, hitting a record high of 135 billion yuan (about 18.41 billion U.S. dollars), the CAAC highlighted.
In 2024, China's aviation infrastructure underwent significant expansion, with the addition of five new runways, 25 aircraft parking stands, and 19,000 square meters of terminal building area. This growth brought the total number of transport airports to 263, with a combined capacity to handle 1.5 billion passengers. Additionally, the first phase of control capacity improvement projects was fully implemented.
The year also saw steady progress on key projects outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), including the development of advanced air traffic control radar systems, weather radar networks, and expanded communication networks. Furthermore, the country's air route network was enhanced with the introduction of 45 new routes, spanning a total of 8,349 kilometers.
China's civil aviation sees record-high passenger trips, fixed-asset investment in 2024
