An Air China Boeing 737-800 operating flight CA1873 lands at Lishui Airport in Zhejiang province on July 18, 2025. [Photo/IC]

China's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) has been a milestone for Zhejiang's transport development, with investment hitting record highs.

Spending surpassed 400 billion yuan ($56.28 billion) in 2024 for the first time, and total investment over the five years is expected to reach 1.8 trillion yuan. By the end of 2024, Zhejiang's road network stretched 121,000 kilometers, including 5,615 km of expressways.

Rail has become the most cost-effective option for many residents. By the end of the current plan period, Zhejiang's interprovincial rail links with Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Anhui will rise from seven at the end of the previous plan to 13, including routes under construction.

Zhejiang has also added new airports in Jiaxing and Lishui over the past five years, bringing its total to nine and achieving near-full provincial coverage. The major hubs in Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Wenzhou are now all connected to urban rail transit.

Zhejiang added 31 coastal berths of 10,000 metric tons or above in five years, bringing the total to 296, the third-largest nationwide. Ningbo-Zhoushan Port continues to lead the world in cargo throughput and ranks third globally in container handling, with 256 international shipping routes.

Airfreight is surging on the back of cross-border e-commerce. Zhejiang is expected to handle 200,000 tons of cross-border e-commerce parcels this year, with international and regional cargo throughput likely reaching 350,000 tons.