China has declared its intention to join the International Transport Forum (ITF), an intergovernmental body of the Organisation Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a grouping of 34 developed countries.
China's Transport Vice Minister Gao Hongfeng made the announcement during the annual summit of transport ministers from the International Transport Forum's 52-member states in Leipzig, announced ITF secretary general Jack Short.
"We will be delighted to welcome China as a full member of the International Transport Forum," said Mr Short. "We hope that the formal process of China joining can be completed soon."
The OECD includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States.
The ITF's non-OECD members include Albania, Korea, Armenia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Malta, Bosnia-Herzegovina, India, Moldova, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine and observer status-Morocco, the Shipping Gazette reports.