BEIJING: The Information Office of the State Council of China on Friday released a white paper titled “China’s Rural Roads in the New Era” to introduce the achievements and vision of rural road development in the new era and share the experience of China.
The total length of rural roads reached 4.6 million kilometers by the end of 2023, an increase of 21.7% from 2013, enough to circle the equator 115 times, the white paper said.
So far, the country has established a rural transport infrastructure network in which departmental roads connect rural and urban areas, township roads intersect, and village roads facilitate travel between households and agricultural land, the document indicates.
Paving the way for prosperity for rural people, China has taken extraordinary measures and made enormous efforts to accelerate the development of rural transportation in poor areas, the white paper said.
Since 2014, more than 1.4 million kilometers of rural roads have been constructed or upgraded in previously poor areas, all cities, townships and administrative villages where conditions permitted were connected to paved roads in 2019, and all these villages have been connected to bus services. by 2020, notes the white paper.
Improved transportation has eliminated bottlenecks that have long held back economic and social development in poor areas, and laid a solid foundation for rural people to achieve moderate prosperity in all respects, the document said.
According to the white paper, the steady development of transportation in rural areas has attracted more capital, projects and talents to the countryside, thereby creating more employment opportunities and expanding possibilities for income growth.
At present, rural road construction projects provide work to about 80,000 people in need as a form of relief, enabling an average annual increase in per capita income of about 8,500 yuan (about 1,182.57 dollars), notes the white paper.
About 850,000 jobs are created in rural road management and maintenance, providing an average annual per capita income of about 13,000 yuan, according to the release.
By advancing rural revitalization at all levels, the government continues to integrate rural roads into the overall economic development of rural areas, supporting the modernization of rural industries, boosting rural tourism and effectively utilizing the distinctive resources of rural areas, according to the white paper. .
The development of rural roads also helps create a beautiful and harmonious countryside by enabling the extension of basic public services to rural areas and accelerating urban-rural exchange and integration, notes the white paper.
Share development experience
China has shared its development experience and helped build rural road infrastructure in other developing countries over the years, making substantial contributions to poverty alleviation, people’s well-being and development. sustainable world, notes the white paper.
These efforts include providing technical standards for road engineering adapted to different national conditions. China has made great efforts in standardization and promoted innovative, cooperative, green and open development fueled by standards, according to the white paper titled “China’s Rural Roads in the New Era” released by the Bureau of information from the State Council.
Chinese road standards have been applied in hundreds of projects in dozens of countries around the world, including the Surabaya-Madura Bridge Project in Indonesia and the Maputo-Katembe Bridge Project in Mozambique, according to the white paper.
China has also played an active role in creating new platforms and mechanisms for global transportation cooperation and promoting the sharing of knowledge and experience.
For example, the country established the Global Sustainable Transportation Knowledge and Innovation Center as a platform for cooperation and exchanges and to share China’s experience in rural road development with the international community, says the white paper.
China has also shared its experience through international training sessions. The country held 28 training sessions, including a road design and management training program in Botswana, and an advanced road engineering training program for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. “, says the white paper.
In addition, China has supported and participated in rural road construction projects and provided aid and assistance to a large number of rural road infrastructure projects in other developing countries.
Since 2018, China has supported 24 developing countries, including Cambodia, Serbia, Rwanda, Namibia, Vanuatu and Niger, in the construction and maintenance of highways and bridges, helping these countries improve their transport infrastructure, according to the white paper.
