All administrative villages in China will have access to asphalt roads by the end of this year as part of efforts to lift more rural areas out of poverty, according to the country's transportation authority on Tuesday.
"The construction of the rural roads in one last township and village in Sichuan province is under way. Upon completion by the end of this month, all administrative villages will have asphalt roads," said Sun Wenjian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport.
China has paved or renovated over 4 million kilometers of roads in the vast rural areas since the founding of New China, which has benefited more than 600 million farmers, he said.
At the end of 2020, townships and villages will have operational buses as well, he said, adding that there are still 3,008 administrative villages and 115 townships without bus service.
Since 2016, the ministry has invested more than 710 billion yuan ($101 billion) in building transportation infrastructure in a bid to help poverty alleviation in the country's rural areas.
The central government has set a goal to lift 70 million people out of poverty and build a moderately well-off society by 2020.
"This construction is linking heretofore isolated communities to the national road network and is improving existing linkages. Connecting rural villages is vital for moving goods as well as increasing accessibility for aid and tourism," said Yang Xinzheng, an expert at the China Academy of Transportation.