China makes advances in building multidimensional traffic network

China made major progress in expanding its comprehensive and multi-dimensional transportation network last year to boost connectivity and economic growth, official data showed.

Fixed-asset investment (FAI) in the transportation sector stood at 3.6 trillion yuan (about $500 billion) in the first 11 months of 2023, according to the Ministry of Transport.

During the period, more than 7,000 kilometers of expressways were expanded or renovated, 1,700 kilometers of new high-speed railways were newly built, and 1,000 kilometers of high-grade waterways were added or improved. Two more civil transport airports were certified. The country's total urban rail transit mileage increased by over 360 kilometers.

Put into operation in 2023, the Jianghuai (Yangtze-Huaihe) Canal in east China's Anhui Province is part of a mega water project to divert water from the Yangtze, China's longest river, to the Huaihe River.

Linking the Huaihe River with the Chaohu Lake and the Yangtze River, the 355-kilometer waterway is another major artificial canal in parallel to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

At the Paihe River estuary, a cargo ship carrying raw materials for glass manufacturing from Zhoukou City, central China's Henan Province, was waiting to pass through the navigation lock.

The opening of the Jianghuai Canal allows direct shipping from the middle and upper reaches of the Huaihe River to the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River without a detour along the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, shortening the transportation distance by 200 to 600 kilometers.

"In the past, it took seven to eight days to get to Wuhu, but now it takes only four to five days, saving 6,000 to 7,000 yuan in shipping costs," said Zhao Hu, the ship sailor.

"The opening of the Jianghuai Canal can save more than 6 billion yuan of bulk cargo freight in the hinterland every year, reducing carbon emissions by nearly 1.8 million tonnes, and reducing logistics costs of industrial enterprises along the route by 5 to 10 percent," said Chen Jing from the Ministry of Transport.

By the end of 2022, China's completion rate of mega project to build a modern, high-quality and comprehensive national transport network was approximately 79 percent, with a combined scale of over six million kilometers. Among them, there are about 16,500 km of high-grade waterways.

The country boasts the world's largest network of high-speed railways with an operating mileage of 42,000 km, and the world's largest expressway network with a total length of 177,000 km. The country has also had 254 civil transport airports by the end of 2022.