Xing Huina:

One last question, please.

Yicai:

Creating a beautiful and harmonious countryside that is desirable to live and work in is an important task in advancing the rural revitalization strategy. What is the role of rural roads in this process? Thank you.

Li Yang:

Thank you for your question. Creating a beautiful and harmonious countryside is a major strategic arrangement made by the CPC Central Committee. It represents a beautiful evolution of rural development. In the process of rural road development, we have made serving and supporting the building of a beautiful and harmonious countryside our priority. Specifically, we have taken efforts in the following areas: 

First, we have focused on creating harmony between rural roads and their surroundings, including the layout of villages and towns, natural landscape and traditional culture. As mentioned previously, we have ensured rural road development in line with local conditions. In the planning, design and construction of rural roads, we've prioritized their integration into the optimization of the layout of villages and towns, improvement of rural living environments as well as the preservation of cultural relics and heritage, and surrounding landscape. We've also emphasized making rural roads blend in with their historical surroundings and cultural landscapes. Rural roads have played an important part in helping make the countryside more beautiful and preserve cultural traditions.

Second, we have intensified our endeavors to ensure improvements in road environment and service capacity. Local governments have launched projects to improve road environment, taking measures based on their own conditions to make rural roads tidy, green and beautiful. We have stepped up our efforts to separate roads from farmlands and residential housing, creating a beautiful environment for smooth, safe and comfortable travel, and building roads to make the countryside greener and more attractive.

Third, we have promoted the integrated development between rural roads and tourism. We've developed the model of "rural roads plus tourism," in which we connect rural roads with local cultural and tourist resources including natural landscapes and cultural heritage, turning scenic resources that have been preserved by generations of villagers into popular tourist destinations to boost rural revitalization through tourism. More examples like these can be found in the white paper. We also encourage you all to go experience this firsthand.

Moreover, we've launched diverse activities to help more people know "beautiful rural roads" and the beauty of the countryside. Since 2019, we have been launching the publicity activity themed "The road in front of my home," selecting the "Top 10 Most Beautiful Rural Roads" annually in a bid to highlight the remarkable progress and changes in rural road development. This activity has garnered widespread attention. This year, we worked with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission to launch an activity that recommends the most beautiful routes for road trips. This event is designed to showcase the most picturesque rural roads, inviting people to discover and enjoy the beauty of the countryside during their time off.

We anticipate that these featured routes will soon evolve into must-visit tourist attractions, drawing crowds of social media influencers. After years of development, beautiful rural roads connect both natural and cultivated landscapes, blending in with distinctive rural homes as well as helping to build a large number of villages and towns that are desirable to live and work in, and painting new scenes of rural harmony and beauty. 

Regarding the future development of rural roads, as I previously mentioned, the Ministry of Transport will continue to thoroughly study and implement the series of important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping regarding the construction, management, maintenance and operation of roads in rural areas, and will implement a new round of programs for rural road upgrading. We are aiming to make rural roads better, safer, more attractive and more convenient, ensuring that rural residents can fully benefit from the outcomes of reforms and development.

Last, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you for your interest in rural road development. We also welcome your oversight as we strive to address any problems that may occur. Thank you. 

Xing Huina:

Today's press conference is hereby concluded. Thank you to Mr. Li, all the speakers and our friends from the media. Goodbye everyone.

Translated and edited by Liu Caiyi, Huang Shan, Mi Xingang, Yuan Fang, Li Xiao, Ma Yujia, Yang Chuanli, Fan Junmei, Xiang Bin, Liu Sitong, Gong Yingchun, Zhang Junmian, Li Huiru, Jay Birbeck, David Ball and Rochelle Beiersdorfer. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.