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The vice-governor of Guizhou has outlined the huge progress being made in the southwest Chinese province's infrastructure development, especially in transportation, as it seeks to attract investment and increase tourism.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Qin Rupei revealed that in the first three quarters of the year, 54.1 billion yuan ($8.7 billion) and 16.3 billion yuan were spent on road and rail construction, increases of 25 percent and 41 percent over the same period last year. Investment in airport construction, meanwhile, more than doubled during the period.

"Those growth rates are the highest of any region," said Qin, who is a delegate to the ongoing 18th Party Congress.

Guizhou's highway network has grown by 600 km, with 60 counties in the province now connected by highways; and another 13 highways are planned, he added.

In addition to three new main railway lines, and a new airport, the province is also expanding Longdongbao International Airport, located in the capital Guiyang, to handle express air links with Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and frequent services to other major cities.

By 2020, Longdongbao will be able to handle about 35 million passengers a year.

Known for its rich natural resources, beautiful scenery and diverse ethnic communities, the vice-governor added, the province's growth in tourism has been equally impressive.

In the first three quarters of the year, 168 million tourists visited Guizhou, a growth of 29 percent, creating revenue of 144.5 billion yuan, 30.5 percent more than the same period last year.

In the first eight months of the year, figures show, foreign capital investment grew by 58.7 percent, while all investment from outside the province grew 111 percent in key industries including IT, machinery, food processing, biomedicine, new materials and new energy, agriculture and tourism, Qin said.

Questions:

1. How much was spent on road and rail construction in the first 3 quarters of the year?

2. How many passengers will Longdongbao Airport handle by 2020?

3. How many tourists visited Guizhou in first three quarters of the year?

Answers:

1. 54.1 billion yuan and 16.3 billion yuan.

2. 35 million passengers.

3. 168 million.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.