People visit the booth of DHL at the Trade in Services Exhibition Area of the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 8, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)
"The rate and ecosystem of e-commerce in China surpasses those of most other countries," said DHL CEO John Pearson, who considers it "extremely fortunate" to be significant supply chain partners with Chinese online retailers.
FRANKFURT, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Logistics services company DHL will keep pace with the rapid development of e-commerce in China by further investing in sustainability towards a greener future, John Pearson, global chief executive officer (CEO) of DHL Express, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
DHL was one of the first international logistics companies to establish a presence in China. In 1986, DHL and the China National Foreign Trade Transportation Corporation (Sinotrans) established DHL-Sinotrans, a 50-50 jointed venture, providing time definite international service and world express services of documents and parcels.
Pearson described the partnership with Sinotrans as "extremely successful." DHL-Sinotrans boasts a double-digit compound annual growth rate and now covers about 400 cities nationwide, according to the company.
The member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Post AG said that, DHL, which has 8,000 employees and 147 service centers in China, has observed, taken part in and benefited from the economic booms and industrial transformation in China while growing along with the local market.
"The rate and ecosystem of e-commerce in China surpasses those of most other countries," Pearson said, adding that it is "extremely fortunate" to be significant supply chain partners with Chinese online retailers like Shein and Temu, which are experiencing remarkable growth in the global market.
With its local team in China, DHL focuses on assisting Chinese businesses with the optimization of their distribution networks, cost-effective transportation and service levels to support expansion in their markets in the United States and Europe, Pearson said.
A man cleans a DHL delivery vehicle in Washington D.C. April 23, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)
Following a post-pandemic depression and a cyclical downturn, global demand is continuing to bounce back, with Asian countries, especially China, playing an active role, according to Pearson.
Noting that global supply chains have served the world well with efficiencies, he said: "We're pro-free trade. We're pro-trading blocs, and we're pro-opening the corridors for trade between countries."
In order to increase network resilience and service capability, DHL has inaugurated a new gateway in Wuxi in East China's Jiangsu Province, and is continuing to expand its North Asia Hub in Pudong, Shanghai.
DHL is committed to reducing emissions by using more sustainable aviation fuels and by electrifying its fleet as it aims to reduce its global carbon emissions to below 29 million tonnes annually by 2030. The company will continue to "invest heavily in sustainability, electrification of last mile and hydrogen vehicles in China," he said. ■
