On Sunday, China's Ministry of Transport reported steady growth in the country’s transport sector for the first eight months, with increases in freight volume, passenger traffic, and infrastructure investment.

On Sept. 28, 2025, the State Council Information Office holds a press conference in Beijing on transportation services during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday. [Photo by Liu Jian/China SCIO]

Speaking at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office, Li Yang, vice minister of transport, said the overall performance of the transport economy has been stable since January, with foreign trade container throughput rising rapidly and investment in transportation infrastructure remaining at a high level.

In the first eight months, commercial freight volume reached 38.06 billion metric tons, up 3.8% from a year earlier. Rail, road, waterway, and air freight all posted increases, with air cargo leading at 14.5%. In the same period, 128.2 billion parcels were handled through express deliveries, marking a jump of 17.8%.

Port activity also expanded. Cargo throughput climbed 4.4% to 12.03 billion metric tons, while container throughput rose 6.3% to 230 million TEUs. Growth was particularly strong in foreign trade containers throughput, which increased 8.4% in the first eight months.

Cross-regional passenger movement continued to rise, reaching 45.55 billion trips, up 3.6% year on year. Railway travel rose 6.7%, air travel 5.3%, and road trips 3.4%.

An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 28, 2025 shows the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwestern China's Guizhou province. The world's tallest bridge opened to traffic Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Meanwhile, investment in transportation infrastructure remained at a high level. From January to August, fixed-asset investment totaled 2.26 trillion yuan (US$320 billion), including 1.54 trillion yuan in roads, 504.1 billion yuan in railways, 143.3 billion yuan in waterways, and 70.7 billion yuan in civil aviation. Road projects accounted for the bulk, with major spending on expressways, national and provincial roads, and rural routes reaching 807 billion yuan, 373 billion yuan, and 238.2 billion yuan, respectively.

Li also highlighted progress on key projects under the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), noting that all are moving forward smoothly. Recently completed works include the Beijing-Harbin expressway expansion and the renovation project on Beijing's East Sixth Ring Road, while key projects such as the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel and the Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge have achieved breakthroughs.

Looking ahead, Li said the ministry will push to complete work scheduled in the current five-year plan and contribute toward drafting the next one, with a focus on building a more comprehensive transport network. "We will turn more of our roadmaps into construction blueprints to further support high-quality economic growth," he said.