A total of 12, 000 clean-energy vehicles are on the roads in the first 13 cities to promote such vehicles, the Shanghai Securities Journal reported Tuesday.

"Countries around the world are adopting the development and application of energy-efficient and new energy vehicles as an important strategy for their auto industries," said Zhang Zhihong, deputy director of the Department of High and New Technology Development and Industrialization in the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Zhang said that over the past five years, China has invested approximately 2 billion yuan in R&D and application of intelligent transportation systems, energy-efficient and new energy vehicles, rail transportation and the construction and maintenance of transportation infrastructure.

In 2009 China launched pilot programs for new energy vehicles in 13 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing.

China's business press carried the story above on Tuesday. China.org.cn has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.