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UPS Expects More Direct Flights to China
U.S. fast delivery giant UPS is expecting more direct flights to China as its business expands in the fastest growing market in the Asia-Pacific region.
"UPS opened direct routes to Beijing and Shanghai on April 4 this year. We expect to launch direct flights to one or two more Chinese cities in two or three years," said Charles Adams, UPS's chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific region, in an interview with Chinese reporters in Shanghai where he is attending this year 's APEC CEO summit.
Adams said the Asia-Pacific region represents the second largest market for UPS outside the United States. Growth of business volume in the Asia-Pacific region is the highest, while growth of the Chinese market is much higher than other Asia- Pacific markets, he said.
He noted that UPS has been always in support of China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which will result in the opening of its services sector to the benefit of foreign firms.
Adams said he considered China's WTO accession as a stimulus for further reforms in the nation.
If China is to merge into the world economy, it must first improve its management concept, he said.
For example, he said, it takes only 24 hours for an express mail to reach the Beijing Capital Airport from the Kennedy airport in New York, but it will take three days for it to be cleared at the Beijing airport customs.
"Customs clearance has become a major bottleneck in China's foreign trade," he said.
Adams disclosed that UPS is cooperating with Chinese authorities to realize paperless or electronic customs clearance procedures as the first step toward modernizing customs operation in China.
The new operation model has started at the Shanghai customs, he said.
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