China to upgrade transport infrastructures in Tibet

BEIJING - China has vowed to further promote the development of transport infrastructures in Tibet to make travels on "the roof of the world" much easier.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) said in a guideline that China aims to expand highways in the autonomous region to 110,000 kilometers by 2020.

China plans to complete a primary network of railways by then with 1,300 kilometers of rails in operation. The country will also build more airports in Tibet.

Building roads connecting rural areas has become the policy focus. The authorities plans to make sure that by 2020, every village in Tibet has at least one road connecting with the outside.

To that end, the MOT will beef up support to the construction of transport infrastructures in Tibet and make specific plans to ensure the accomplishment of these targets.

Tibet has received about 83 billion yuan ($13 billion) in transport investment during the last 20 years.

In ancient times, it usually took months even years for people living in the country's middle and eastern regions to get to Tibet.

Although airlines, railways and expressways have made travels to Tibet much more convenient, the transport infrastructures in the autonomous region are still outdated.

"The development of transport in Tibet is crucial to China's national security and lasting prosperity in the autonomous region," said the MOT guideline.