Infrastructure expansion in rural areas key to growth

CAI MENG/CHINA DAILY

Experts said rural areas will be the next target for the country's infrastructure investment, which is expected to expand the market for agricultural goods and tourism, boost domestic demand and create more jobs.

Impoverished rural areas will definitely benefit from the plan, said Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Across the country, many places still have the slogan "Build roads before making wealth" painted on walls, which indicates the importance of transportation networks in rural areas.

According to Li Guoxiang's research, a large number of villages still rely on dirt roads to reach the outside world and have difficulties when rainy season landslides occur. "Thousands of towns and villages have rich resources in tourism and agricultural products, but no one wants to go there if the road is badly built," he said.