On October 19, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) held talks with the Shanghai Municipal Government in Shanghai to discuss the development of Shanghai as an international aviation hub. Song Zhiyong, Secretary of the CPC Group and Administrator of CAAC, and Zhu Zhongming, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and Mayor of Shanghai, attended the meeting and delivered remarks.

Song Zhiyong said that CAAC has earnestly implemented the important instructions and directives of General Secretary Xi Jinping on civil aviation and made every effort to promote high-level safety and high-quality development in the civil aviation sector. He expressed his appreciation for the strong support provided by Shanghai for the development of civil aviation. Since the beginning of this year, passenger and cargo throughput at Shanghai's airports has continued to grow, and their role as gateways for the aviation hub has continued to strengthen. CAAC has actively supported Shanghai in developing its "Five Centers", issued a list of key tasks, refined and implemented relevant support measures, and actively advanced infrastructure projects, including the Phase IV expansion of Shanghai Pudong International Airport. It has also continued to work on optimizing the airspace structure in the Yangtze River Delta and improving the route network serving Shanghai's aviation hub. Going forward, CAAC will continue to carry out its work in accordance with the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Civil Aviation, support Shanghai in optimizing passenger and cargo flight slots and airspace structure, enhance its international transfer capabilities, and promote the high-quality development of Shanghai as an international aviation hub.

Zhu Zhongming said that developing Shanghai into a high-quality international aviation hub is essential to enhancing the capacity of Shanghai as an international shipping center and accelerating the development of the "Five Centers". It is also an important measure for advancing integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, implementing the coordinated regional development strategy, enhancing the international competitiveness of civil aviation, and supporting the development of China into a country with strong transportation capabilities. Shanghai will remain focused on the strategic goal of building an all-round gateway-type composite international aviation hub with global influence. It will concentrate on strengthening its physical infrastructure, enhancing its capacity as an international aviation hub, advancing digital, intelligent, and green transformation, and maintaining the bottom line for aviation safety. These efforts will drive further progress in the development of Shanghai as an international aviation hub. He expressed the hope that cooperation between CAAC and Shanghai would be further strengthened to jointly advance the implementation of major reforms, projects, and policies, thereby making greater contributions to a new chapter in civil aviation development as part of China's efforts to become a country with strong transportation capabilities.

He Qing, Vice Mayor of Shanghai; Han Jun, Deputy Administrator of CAAC; and Wang Zhiqing, Chairman of China Eastern Air Holding Co. Ltd, attended the talks.