China to accelerate smarter, greener transport system in 15th Five-Year Plan

China will accelerate efforts to build a smarter, greener, and more people-centered transport system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), Transport Minister Liu Wei said on Monday in Beijing.

Liu made the remarks during a minister's passage interview after the second plenary meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress.

He said the country will continue improving its national transport network while placing greater emphasis on integration, safety, digital upgrading, and green development.

China made major progress in transport development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), with the main framework of the national comprehensive three-dimensional transport network now more than 90 percent complete, he said.

Transport services play an essential role in people's daily lives in China, Liu noted. "Every day, about 30 million passenger cars travel on expressways nationwide, around 10 million people take high-speed trains, and about 2 million travel by air. Within cities, roughly 100 million trips are made daily by metro, another 100 million by public buses and trolleybuses, and another 100 million by taxis and ride-hailing services," he said.

China's logistics sector has also maintained strong growth, with about 550 million parcels being collected every day across the country, underscoring the importance of transport in supporting both livelihoods and economic activity.

China aims to raise the completion rate of its main national transport network from over 90 percent to above 95 percent, while stepping up the renovation and digital upgrading of aging infrastructure with inadequate safety and resilience, Liu said.

The country will promote deeper integration across regions and transport modes. In urban clusters, efforts will be made to improve intercity commuting efficiency, while in logistics, China will boost multimodal transport and improve transfer efficiency.

Safety and resilience will also be a priority, Liu said, noting that more than 120,000 kilometers of roads in China are damaged by floods each year. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the country will continue projects to improve highway and bridge safety.

On digital development, Liu said China will expand the application of artificial intelligence in areas such as highway inspection, while advancing smart highways, smart ports, and intelligent shipping.

Regarding green development, he said transport accounts for about 10 percent of the country's total carbon emissions. China will promote zero-carbon transport corridors and hubs and expand the use of new-energy vehicles, vessels, and other clean transport equipment.

Liu also outlined measures to improve services for the public this year, including better holiday travel support, smoother passenger transfers, upgraded expressway service areas, and improved facilities for elderly travelers and truck drivers.