China logs steady increase in cross-regional passenger trips in H1

China logged 33.76 billion cross-regional passenger trips in the first half of 2025, a 4.2-percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Friday.

Rail journeys rose 6.7 percent, road travel grew 4 percent, and the number of air passengers climbed 6 percent. International flights led the rebound, surging by 28.5 percent.

Freight traffic remained solid amid resilient global logistics. Commercial freight totaled 28.03 billion tonnes, up 3.9 percent year on year.

The total port cargo throughput continued to rise, with the number of foreign trade containers growing at a relatively fast pace. China's ports handled 8.9 billion tonnes of cargo during the period, up 4 percent from the year prior.

Fixed-asset investment in transport held steady at 1.65 trillion yuan (about $231 billion), underscoring continued infrastructure momentum.

(Cover: A high-speed train passes through the field in Yangbei Town, Jiangsu Province, east China, May 27, 2025. /VCG)