Key facts
- China will shift its transport infrastructure investment focus from new large-scale projects to upgrading existing facilities during the 2026-2030 period.
- The move is intended to promote balanced regional development and enhance connectivity, efficiency, and resilience.
- Plans include infrastructure renewal and digital transformation across 80,000 km of the transport network.
- Approximately 500,000 km of rural roads will be built or renovated.
- Intermodal connections at 1,000 major freight hubs will be improved.
- International supply chain resilience will be strengthened through expanded shipping routes and air cargo links.
China is set to shift its focus in transport infrastructure development from large-scale expansion to upgrading existing facilities during the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period, spanning from 2026 to 2030. This strategic pivot, announced by Vice-Minister of Transport Xu Chengguang, signals an end to an era of simply rolling out new projects and reflects a concerted effort to promote more balanced regional development and enhance connectivity, efficiency, and resilience.
The Ministry of Transport outlined plans to continue improving railway, highway, waterway, civil aviation, and postal infrastructure, while accelerating the development of a more integrated logistics network. Major corridor projects will include coastal high-speed railways, upgraded highways along land borders and coastlines, and transport links along the Yangtze River. The country aims to put 95 percent of its planned backbone national transport network in place by 2030, up from 91 percent currently.
Specific initiatives include infrastructure renewal and digital transformation across approximately 80,000 kilometers of the transport network, the construction or renovation of 500,000 km of rural roads, and improvements to intermodal connections at around 1,000 major freight hubs to streamline cargo transfers. The railway sector, in particular, will increasingly concentrate on enhancing quality, capacity, and integration, building upon China's existing extensive high-speed rail network.
This strategic shift is also exemplified by ongoing mega-projects, such as the Three Gorges new waterway project, which involves an investment of nearly 77.21 billion yuan (about $11.33 billion) to nearly double the throughput capacity of the existing shipping hub. Other notable projects include the Pinglu Canal in Guangxi and the Chongqing-Wanzhou high-speed railway. Experts emphasize that transportation plays a foundational role in economic development, serving national strategies and improving people's lives.