2. Transport Development Plan in the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" Period

During the twelfth five-year plan period, the Ministry of Transport will thoroughly implement the concept of development in a scientific manner and diligently carry out a number of decisions and policies made by the Central Government. We will take the scientific development as the guiding principle to accelerate the transformation of transport development pattern and promote structural adjustment, with an aim to building up an integrated transport system in advance as appropriate and promoting the development of modern transport. It is expected that, by the end of 2015, a safe, efficient and green transport system covering highway, waterway and civil aviation transport as well as postal services will come into shape to meet with the demand of economic and social development as well as the expectation of people. To that end, the following five aspects will be highlighted.

2.1 Steadily promoting the infrastructure development

(a) Highway

More efforts will be put on the construction of inter-provincial highways (missing connections) with an aim to initially building up the national expressway network by the end of 2015. Revisions will be made to the national highway network plan, highlighting the renovation of national and provincial highways, so as to achieve an overall structural upgrade of the highway network and improvement of transport services by the end of the twelfth five-year plan period.

(b) Waterway

To promote the development of coastal ports in an orderly manner, improving the layout of ports specializing in handling coal, oil, ore and containers and strengthening resource integration, so as to develop and construct new areas of coastal ports in the support of the development of port-related industries. It is envisaged that, by the end of 2015, the adaptability rate of deep-water berths with a handling capacity of over 10,000 tons of the coastal ports will reach 1.1 to 1. More efforts will be made to the further development of advanced waterway channels on the Yangtze River and other rivers. Some key projects which are about to be launched will include the construction of 12.5-meter-deep waterways on the lower reaches of Nanjing section of the Yangtze River, the maintenance of waterways of Jingjiang river and the capacity expansion of branch shipping lanes of Xijiang river and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It is expected that, by the end of 2015, the total length of the advanced inland waterways will amount to 13,000 kilometers.

(c) Civil aviation

To optimize the airport layout and enhance the airport safeguard capability. It is expected that, by the end of 2015, 80% of cities and population at the county level or above will have access to civil aviation airports.

(d) Postal service

To improve the infrastructure construction of basic post network and further develop the capability of express mail services. Post offices will be opened in most towns where there are no post offices, by which it is expected that the total number of post offices nationwide will reach 62,000 by the end of 2015.