China to build more highways, airports in Tibet

23 Aug TOI

China on Saturday said it plans to promote the development of transport infrastructure in Tibet by building more roads and airports by 2020.The ministry of transport said in a guideline that China aims to expand highways in the autonomous region to 1,10,000 kilometres by 2020.

China plans to complete a primary network of railways by then with 1,300 kilometres of rails in operation. It also plans to build more airports in Tibet, state-run Xinhua news agency said.Focusing on the rural areas, the authorities have planned to connect at least one road in every village of the country with urban areas by 2020.To that end, the transport ministry will beef up support to the construction of transport infrastructures in Tibet and make specific plans to ensure the accomplishment of these targets, it said.

Tibet has received about 83 billion yuan ($13 billion) in transport investment during the last 20 years, the report said.Although airlines, railways and expressways have made travelling to Tibet much more convenient, the transport infrastructures in the autonomous region are still outdated.The development of transport in Tibet is crucial to China's national security and lasting prosperity in the autonomous region,” the ministry guideline said.