Official statistics show the total length of highways in China rose from 20-thousand kilometers in 2001 to 130-thousand kilometers in 2016. As of last year, China's highway network covered 31 provinces and municipalities of the country. The development of highways in China has transformed the way people travel. In 2016, the passenger traffic volume on China's highways was over 18 billion people. That means the annual highway trips per capita was 14 times.

 

Highway freight has also become a main channel for the country's logistics industry. In 2016, nearly 40 percent of goods were transported by highways. Apart from the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway, the highest transportation density is in the three major economic circles, namely the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River delta.