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Chinese tech helps in global fight against virus

By HE WEI in Shanghai| China Daily| Updated: April 10, 2020 L M S

Air cargo transportation is available in more than 100 countries and regions from the end of March to the end of April, as the company claims it is one of the few global logistics networks whose operations have not been affected by the contagion.

The company said in a news release it has launched dedicated flights from cities including Hangzhou, Hong Kong and Harbin to multiple international destinations, such as Moscow, Tel Aviv and Liege, Belgium.

For instance, chartered airfreight now flies five times a week from Hangzhou to Liege, facilitating cross-border trade amid global economic pressure.

Belgium was the first European nation to sign up to the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP), an initiative first proposed by Ma in 2016.

As part of the plan, Alibaba's logistics arm Cainiao opened a warehouse in Liege to help businesses in Europe transport goods to China and promote trade.

Powering the operation of Cainiao is a dedicated public service platform in Leige, Belgium, to streamline custom clearance procedures for cross-border trade.

The portal allows merchants, warehouse operators and logistics companies from both China and Europe to conduct real-time inquiries concerning the location of parcels being handled and transported.

Wang Ye, who exports furniture and beauty products to Europe, said the platform and relevant technologies have allowed his merchandise to reach the hands of buyers in just three days.

"One highlight is the computerized and cloud-computing backed capabilities that allow us to inform transporters, logistics, and the customs authorities to go through the process as soon as possible," said Michel Kempeneers, chief operating officer of overseas export at Investment of Wallonia Export and Foreign Investment Agency.

"The main target of eWTP is to develop a powerful, high-value system that has been proven useful and successful in Belgium," he said. "We get to share this model with others as the best practice that can be promoted to other countries in the world."

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