BEIJING, Feb. 23 -- China will strengthen measures ensuring the smooth flow of logistics to stabilize industrial and supply chains, the Ministry of Transport said on Thursday.

The ministry will work to enhance the country's emergency response transport capacity and ensure efficient and unimpeded logistics for key materials, especially materials related to energy, food, medicines and other daily necessities, Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng told a press conference.

Efforts will be made to optimize terminal distribution networks in both urban and rural areas to facilitate economic circulation further, Li said.

The country will also accelerate its cultivation of modern logistics enterprises with international competitiveness, and build an international logistics supply chain that is open, safe and reliable and has global coverage, he added.

Li noted that transport and logistics operations have fully returned to normal, with the commercial freight volume in 2022 increasing 8.2 percent over 2019.