[270713.EN.SEA] China Spent US$472.47 Billion On Road, Water Infrastructure In 2011, 2012

CHINA's Ministry of Transport has given approval to the interim evaluation report of the country's traffic development in the 12th Five Year Plan period.

The report shows that during the first two years of the 12th-Five-Year-Plan period, which is 2011 and 2012, China spent a total of CNY2.9 trillion (US$472.47 billion) on road and waterway traffic infrastructures, taking up 47 per cent of the target investment sum for the entire period.

In 2011 and 2012, China's transport industry kept a steady growth. A solid foundation for future development and accomplishment of the targets set for the 12th-Five-Year-Plan period, which is from 2011 to 2015, was laid in these two years, said the report.

In 2011 and 2012, China added 229,000 kilometres to its road network, to bring the total mileage to 4.23 million kilometres, accounting for 47 per cent of the target. River navigational channels that are newly built or upgraded totalled 2,281 kilometres, taking up 35 per cent of the target. Newly built high-grade navigational channels also accounted for 35 per cent of the target, totalling 1,100 kilometres. Two hundred new berths were also built in this period, representing 45 per cent of the target.

China's Minster of Transport Yang Chuantang said, judging from the interim report, in 2011 and 2012, China's traffic infrastructure continued to optimise. Their capacity continued to expand. Traffic service quality continued to improve. In the meanwhile, the development of integrated transport network and the logistics industry was going smoothly. The application of information technologies increased. More efforts were devoted onto green transport. Transportation was also becoming safer and more secure, offering significant support to the development of China's economy.

The remaining two years of the 12th-Five-Year-Plan period, 2014 and 2015, as well as the 13th-Five-Year-Plan period, are the crucial period for the accomplishment of China's aim to raise the living standard of its people, said Mr Yang. 2013 will be the new beginning for laying foundation for the following 13th-Five-Year-Plan period by continuing to carry out the plans made for the 12th-Five-Year-Plan period.

Source : HKSG, 25.07.13.