A total length of 300,000 kilometers of rural road in China will be built and upgraded in 2007 to facilitate local transport, according to the communications authority.

A glut of ferries and bridges will also be revamped in order to better protect the local areas from natural disasters, according to the Communications Minister Li Shenglin.

The Ministry of Communications will continue to invest heavily in extending the road notably in the west and central regions, and improve the efficiency of the fund using, he said.

About 260,000 kilometers of roads have recently been built or upgraded in rural areas, dramatically improving local transport for 30 million people living in 30,000 villages, according to the ministry.

In 2006, 8,711 bus stations were added in rural areas, offering millions of residents in about 20,000 villages the chance to ride a public bus for the first time.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2007)