China to add 30 civil airports, more railways and highways in 5 years

A high-speed train pulls out of Beijing South Railway Station, China, January 4, 2019. /CFP

To meet the 14th Five-Year Plan goals, China plans to construct 30 civil airports, 3,000 kilometers of railways, as well as 25,000 kilometers of highways in the next five years, shaping a strong domestic transport network by 2050, said the Chinese vice transport minister on Wednesday in Beijing.

According to Wang Zhiqing, China's vice transport minister, the country will accelerate transportation construction by integrating different forms of travel across industries. The main objective is to make China's transportation network convenient, cost-effective, safe, and intelligent, boosting the country's economy and domestic demand while promoting the "dual circulation" strategy which reinforces the domestic and global economy.

Wang Yang, chief engineer of China'sMinistry of Transport, said China is actively developing high-speed maglev trains, and the results will be announced timely. The cutting-edge technologies including 5G, the Beidou Navigation system, and artificial intelligence will be applied in future projects. "Next, we will strengthen scientific and technological innovation in transportation development, improve its digital and intelligent level, raise efficiency and upgrade our facilities into digitizedones."