Wanna be rich? Build roads first! The total length of rural roads in China has increased nearly 6-fold over the past 40 years. In the 7th episode of our explainer series, we explore #HowChinaCan put every village on the right track #NewChina70Years
BEIJING, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- China has 700,000 administrative villages spreading across a landmass of 9.6 million square kilometers. Be them on plateaus, deserts or grasslands, 99.98 percent of these villages now have access to roads. How has China done it?
In 1978, at least half of China's villages did not have access to roads. But the total length of rural roads in China has increased nearly six-fold in those 40 years.
Building roads is one of the main ways to reduce poverty rates in rural China. That explains why "Wanna be rich? Build roads first!" is a famous saying in China.
About 67 percent of China's land is made of mountains, plateau or hills.
In China, 700 meters of new expressways are being built every hour on average. China is also home to the world's largest and most complex tunnels and bridge projects.
In rural China, heavy rain and other reasons can cause damage to roads. This is why paved roads are so important.
From 2013 to 2017, the central government spent 400 billion yuan on rural roads. Most of that funding goes toward building and repairing roads in poor areas.
As rural roads need constant maintenance, local governments must provide funding. The related persons will be held accountable for the road quality in their whole life.
The Chinese government have stated that transportation should not stand in the way of ushering in a moderately prosperous society.■
