Rural road building program offers route out of poverty

China has made significant contributions to reducing poverty, improving people's well-being and promoting sustainable global development by sharing its experience and supporting rural road infrastructure construction in developing countries, according to a white paper released on Friday.

The white paper, titled "China's Rural Roads in the New Era" and published by the State Council Information Office, highlights the achievements and vision of rural road development since 2012 while sharing China's expertise with other developing nations.

Li Yang, vice-minister of transport, emphasized that the white paper underscores China's efforts to advance rural road development globally by promoting technical standards, sharing development practices, and supporting local rural road projects.

"China has continuously expanded the availability and application of foreign-language versions of its highway engineering industry standards, enabling the international community to better understand the country's highway systems, particularly its rural road standards," Li said at a news conference.

Over the years, China has provided practical and adaptable technical standards for highway engineering tailored to diverse regional needs, according to the white paper. The country has developed a world-class system of technical standards and specifications for highway engineering, encompassing innovations in techniques, equipment and materials.

To date, 73 industry standards have been published in English, French and Russian, covering key technical areas such as the construction, maintenance and quality evaluation of highways, bridges and tunnels. These standards have been applied in hundreds of projects across dozens of countries, including rural roads in Nepal and Mozambique, the white paper said.

The Karakoram Highway, part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which was constructed using Chinese standards by Chinese enterprises, received an award in the Engineering News-Record Global Best Projects competition.

In addition to technical contributions, China has established platforms for international exchange and cooperation while promoting initiatives like training programs to share expertise in rural road development.

Last year, the country hosted the Global Sustainable Transport Forum, demonstrating its commitment to advancing rural transport development in broader and more detailed areas.

More than 800 individuals from developing countries have benefited from 28 technical training sessions provided by Chinese professionals, including a program on road design and management in Botswana, according to the white paper.

"China has supported developing countries in improving rural transportation through project participation, technical assistance and human resources," Li said, citing Ecuador's post-disaster reconstruction efforts as a prominent example.

Phase one of Ecuador's post-earthquake reconstruction project involved upgrading a 33.8-kilometer gravel road and constructing a 177-meter bridge.

Initiated in 2016 after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake and completed last year, the project connects key transportation arteries in north-central Ecuador, providing the most convenient route between the region and the Pacific coast.

The reconstruction has significantly facilitated the transport of agricultural products such as palm, sugar cane and cacao, enhanced road safety, and spurred economic development in rural areas, benefiting approximately 1.5 million residents along the route, the white paper said.

Since 2018, China has supported 24 developing countries such as Cambodia and Serbia in highway and bridge construction and maintenance, helping to improve their transport infrastructure, it added.

zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn