China plans to build a highway network of 461,000 kilometers by 2035 and further expand it to become a world-class one by 2050, as the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Transport unveiled a document called National Highway Network Planning. The plan involves highways with a total length of 461,000 kilometers, of which 162,000 kilometers will be expressways. Highway networks will cover cities and counties with populations of more than 100,000 and important land border ports. The new plan includes strengthening links between national highways and railway terminals, airports and ports, and expanding the scope of railway, water and civil transport services, said Zhou Xiaoqi, Deputy Director of the Department of Infrastructure Development at the NDRC.
The National 1-2-3 Travel Circle – one hour to commute in cities, two hours to travel within city clusters, and three hours to travel between major domestic cities – and Global 1-2-3 Logistics Circle – one day to deliver within China, two days to deliver to neighboring countries and regions, and three days to deliver to major global cities – plans were released in December 2020 by the government, and were intended to take initial shape by 2035. The new plan is seen as an upgrade of the country's national highway plan released in 2013.
China has been ramping up investment and construction of highways across the country to stabilize the economy after recent Covid-19 outbreaks in major Chinese cities. Fixed-asset investment (FAI) is an important growth driver for the Chinese economy. FAI increased 6.8% from a year earlier to CNY15.35 trillion in the first four months, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), as reported by the Global Times.
