How many kilometers of new highways are to be built as part of the
great strategy pioneering China's west development strategy? To
this, an interview as given below was specially sought with
Communications Minister Huang Zhendong during the ongoing NPC
plenary and CPPCC meetings in
Beijing:
Reporter: How about highway construction in western
China?
Huang: China has 12 provinces and autonomous regions in its west
with a territory of 6.882 million square kilometers or 71.7 percent
of the country's total. Comparing 52 percent of expressways built
in China's east as reported by the end of 2001, roads built in this
part of the country are mostly at a poor low level: Asphalt road
merely makes an insignificant part. Most are roads raising big
clouds of dust during fine days and would become all muddy in a
rainy weather. Medium- or second-class roads make a mere 27
percent, at a level of 12.5 percentage points less than the
national average and 30.7 percentage points less than those in
China's east. This is particularly so with those at a county level,
not to say those down below of poor accessibility.
Reporter: What highways are going to be built in the country's
west this year?
Huang: We are just in a year crucial for highway construction in
the west. We'll have our construction focusing on a state trunk
line, 8 inter-province lines and 25,000 km of highways at county
level, greater road coverage and greater accessibility of highways
to every rural nook. The target is set at a total length of around
40,000km, including 2,500km expressways.
Reporter: How about inter-county asphalt road
construction?
Huang: Western China inter-county asphalt road construction will
focus on access to prefecture cities and county seats. By the end
of the year, with Tibet
excepted, an asphalt or cement road network is to be built at
least from provincial capitals to every prefecture city or county
seat and this as a regional project has been launched since last
year. According to plan, 251 project items are to be undertaken.
Along with over 25,000km of highways over 3,000km second-class
highways or about 11.8 percent regionally planned will be built.
Third-class highways total 18,000 km, or 72.6 percent regional.
Fourth-class highways reach 4,000km to take up 15.6 percent. These
will involve a total of over 30 billion yuan of cost. It has been
decided that 15 billion yuan of central allocations including 10
billion yuan of treasury bonds will be made on top of 5 billion
yuan from the Ministry of Communications.
(
March 12, 2002)