Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Friday fulfilled its plan to link up all villages with highways.

When a road linking Magaozhuang Township in Tongxin County with the regional highway network opened to traffic on Friday, all the 2,627 villages in 188 townships in Ningxia now have access to asphalt roads.

Ningxia has invested 16 billion yuan (US$1.97 billion) since 2000 in 10 highway construction projects, thanks to financial support from the central government. It now has 13,067 kilometers of highways.

Highway transportation plays a key role in Ningxia. By the end of 2005, motor vehicles owned by individuals exceeded 160,000 in Ningxia. The revenue earned from highway transport makes up 18 percent of Ningxia's tertiary industry this year.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2005)