Chinese fable - China's relentless growth in motorization and provision of road infrastructure has enhanced its economic growth and market intehration

摘要

China's transportation sector has grown dramatically in the last 20 years. Road, for passenger and freight transport, represents 88 per cent and 76 per cent of the total transport task respectively Passenger vehicle and truck fleets have been growing at annual rates of about 23 per cent and 12 per cent respectively. The 10th Five-Year Plan gives priority to the completion of the all-tolled national trunk highway system (NTHS) by 2010 including the development of new expressways to link the remote Western Region to the growth triangle centered between the Beijing-Shanghai-Guangdong growth poles Around 33,000km of the NTHS is estimated to be completed and, in addition, expansion of the initial links of the NTHS is under way To maintain the dynamism of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) centered on Guangdong Province - the economic heart of China - recent national policy is to better link and share resources with nine other southern and western provinces. The three growth poles and associated provinces and cities in between (the so-called 'pearls'), and their associated hinterland regions, house around two thirds of the national population and just about all of the nation's economic production capacity With appropriate policies to free the movement of labor, investment and cross-provincial transport, supported by efficient transport infrastructure and services, this augurs well for the creation of a more unified market that would also benefit ITS.